A small and beautiful valley in the Solukhumbu region, Gokyo Valley is certainly a heaven on Earth. Gokyo valley lies at the foot of Gokyo Ri and near to the Gokyo Lake– Dudh Pokhari. It is an isolated village inhabited by Sherpa community. Overall, the Gokyo Valley trek has a lot of surprises throughout the journey.
The first attraction is certainly the lakes. The turquoise blue chain of lakes, staying clam next to the majestic mountains is a sight that will give ultimate peace to your soul. Situated at 4790 m above sea level, Gokyo lakes is one of the highest freshwater lake systems. Gokyo Lakes is a series of 6 lakes: Gokyo Cho (Dudh Pokhari), Thonak Cho (the largest), Gyazumpa Cho, Tanjung Cho, Ngozumpa Cho, and Longbanga Cho. Among them, Gokyo Cho is the second largest lake and the culturally significant one.
Talking about the trek, the journey is as blissful as the lakes. This high altitude trail of the Everest region takes you through numerous rivers, bridges, forests, lakes, and glaciers. The beautiful views of Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Makalu, Mt. Cho Oyu, Mt. Nuptse, and other peaks will follow you throughout the journey. The red, pink and white Rhododendron forests will freshen you up from long tiring walks. The tingling sounds of bells as the yaks and donkeys pass by, will be our music. As we gain more altitude, we will come across frozen waterfalls, snowy path, glaciers, and moraines. You may also climb the Gokyo Ri soaring up to an altitude of 5357 meters.
The trail takes us through many villages including Khumjung, Kunde, Namche, and Gokyo giving us a glimpse of life in the mountains. The lifestyle in these century-old settlements is influenced by the Tibetan Buddhist culture. Thus, we will come across many Gumbas, Chorten, Mani walls, and prayer flags along the way. The foods are also adapted to the crops available and the energy required for thriving a living in those cold areas. You should not miss trying the Tibetan Butter Tea- made up of yak butter, salt, milk, and tea leaves.
The most suitable time for the trek is autumn (September to November) or spring (March to May). So, if you are craving for lakes, mountains, forests, altitude and rural setting all at once, this trek is certainly the one for you. Adventure White Mountain will take care of all your arrangements so that you can fully enjoy what you came for.
