Useful Information
Everest Gokyo Lakes tour is a demanding trek in the Everest region. Please read about Acute Mountain Sickness before making a final decision to book the Everest Gokyo Lakes trekking vacation.
Best Season for the Everest Gokyo Lake Walking Tour
Choosing the best season for the Everest Gokyo Lake trek or any other trek in Nepal is crucial to make it a memorable trip. As many Asian countries Nepal has five seasons in a year; spring, summer, monsoon, autumn and winter. The best seasons to go for trekking in Nepal are spring and autumn. Although it is possible to go for a trek during the other seasons, spring and autumn are undoubtedly the best ones.
The spring season or the pre-monsoon season falls in the months of February, March, April and May. With everything starting to bloom and grow the spring season has long been a favorite for many trekkers. Especially in the Everest region with clear skies every day the views are just breathtaking. Temperatures during the day go from 15 to 20 degrees Celsius and during the night can drop from 8 to 12 degrees Celsius. The weather will be dry and stable, making your trekking days enjoyable and memorable. Trekking to Everest Base Camp and Gokyo Lake during the spring season is highly recommended by Alpine Eco Trek.
During the autumn season that falls just after the rainy monsoon season, trekkers can enjoy completely different sceneries. Lasting from September to end December during the autumn season trekkers can enjoy a cooler climate with temperatures during the day between 14 to 20 degrees Celsius and during the night from 10 degrees to as low as -5 degrees Celsius. The skies will be clear with some clouds and the villages get ready for harvesting their crops, painting the entire landscape in a beautiful picturesque scene. Trekking to Everest Gokyo Lake during the autumn season is definitely a recommender for any type of trekker.
Food during the Everest Gokyo Lake Hiking Holidays
While trekking in the Himalayas is a great outdoor adventure it is important to stay in tip-top condition every day in order to make it a successful trek. Meals or food during the trek plays an important role in maintaining that good condition of fitness and Alpine Eco Trek makes sure that you are not lacking. Of course in the main cities such as Kathmandu, almost every type of food is available from pizzas to hamburgers and steaks, but as we head out for trekking the meals are more traditional and prepared by the local communities. During the trek, we make use of the local guesthouses and a wide variety of food items will be on the menu for your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Alpine Eco Trek would like to list out some of the food items available during your trek in the Everest region.
The most important meal of the day starts with a good and healthy breakfast. The teahouses or guesthouses have the perfect breakfast items available on the menu to ensure you are ready for a day of trekking. The menus consist out of delicious and fresh-made Tibetan bread, Chapati with fresh cheese, oatmeal, French toast with either jam, honey or peanut butter, fried, boiled, or scrambled local eggs, hashed browns, pancakes, porridge with milk, muesli and seasonable vegetables. A lot to choose from and all energizing foods, just perfect to start your exciting day. Hot drinks are also available but don’t expect a luxurious Americano or espresso.
After trekking for a good half-day hunger starts to set in and we make a break for lunch. In some cases, lunch has to be packed in the morning and will be enjoyed as a picnic but mostly we will stop at a teahouse on the way to restock our energy with a delicious lunch during the trek. Lunch can be ordered from the menu and usually consists of the following items; a different variety of noodle soups called Thukpa, the traditional Nepali rice with lentil soup locally known as dhal bhat, the nation’s favorite momo dumplings, Tibetan or Chapatti bread, pasta like spaghetti or macaroni, the famous Sherpa stew, seasonal soups, sandwiches, pizza, curry rice, spring rolls, burger, pizza, yak steak, and some dessert items. With a lot to choose from it is important to refrain from meat items as the quality of the meat can deteriorate fast in these high altitudes and rural villages.
Having completed a whole day of trekking in the Himalayas a good dinner is all you need. Dinner will be served at our overnight guest or teahouse and can be chosen from the menu. Consisting mostly of the same items as during lunch it’s a great time to try something different than what you had for lunch. For any type of gluten-free meals Alpine Eco Trek asks to bring gluten-free items with you during the trek as almost no teahouse can provide specialized items. With many fresh locally grown vegetables to choose from, there are also a lot of non-vegetarian options available but as stated above we do recommend to refrain from meat items unless we know for sure that they are fresh. The best way to find out is to advise with your trekking guide.
After a good meal comes a good dessert. During the Everest Gokyo Lake trekking tour deserts and some snacks can be bought as well. From delicious homemade apple pies, rice pudding, or fresh-made pastries there is always room for dessert. At the teahouses snacks like; mars or snickers candy bars, cakes or popcorn can be bought and enjoyed during your trekking breaks.
Hot drinks are also made available and very much appreciated during the colder seasons. Trekkers can choose between varieties of energizing hot drinks such as; black or milk coffee, a wide range of tea with honey, milk, ginger, lemon, green, or mint. Hot and fresh juice can also be found but depends on the season such as; mango juice, pineapple juice, or orange juice made nice and warm.
Food during the trek is one of the important things to keep your stamina up and your condition as fit as possible. For more questions about food during a trek in Nepal with Alpine Eco Trek, you can always contact us during your booking.
Drinking water during the Everest Gokyo Lake Hiking
Trekking in the high altitudes can be very taxing on your body, as so it is important to keep hydrating by drinking water during the trek. As the oxygen becomes less the higher we go, drinking water can be a good replacement. Alpine Eco Trek always advises intaking at least between 2 to 4 liters water per day. In the entire Everest region, there are a lot of options to find drinking water. The shops on roads and the teahouses all sell bottled and filtered water, but we do ask our trekkers not to bring them during the trek as empty bottles usually end up in landfills or being burned destroying the environment. On the trails, we can find enough cold water sources whether natural or via tap, by making use of water purification items such as a LifeStraw or tablets you can be sure to have ample drinking water during the Everest Gokyo Lake tour holidays.
Accommodation during the Everest Gokyo Lake Trek Vacation
Having explained a bit about food and drinking water we haven’t gone over accommodations during the trek. These accommodations are in local guesthouses or teahouses and while comfortable and charming can be quite simple. The rooms in these teahouses are on a twin sharing base and are fitted with 2 or 3 single beds equipped with warm blankets, pillows a comfortable mattress, and in some places with an attached bathroom. The rooms are clean and hygienic but we do recommend bringing a sleeping bag for that extra protection of hygiene. These accommodations during the trek have incredible views and in the mornings offer spectacular sunrises with a nice hot cup of beverage. Alpine Eco Trek can offer a single room at no additional charge for solo female travelers.
During your stay in Kathmandu, there is a wide option of hotels to choose from, ranging from simple hostels to luxury 4 to 5-star hotels, Alpine Eco Trek would be more than happy to help you reserve accommodation during your trip to Nepal in Kathmandu, just let us know during your booking.
Travel Insurance
While booking any type of trek or tour with Alpine Eco Trek, travel insurance is required. This does not only give you peace of mind but also allows us to take quick and decisive action in case of an accident or emergency. For trekking in the Himalayas or Everest region, you need to make sure that your travel insurance at least covers the following policies; emergency helicopter rescue, medical evacuation expenses, and trip cancelation. While accidents or illness during a trek are rare it can happen and it’s always better to be safe than sorry. A copy of your travel insurance should be sent during your booking or final confirmation and should be carried with you during the trek. Alpine Eco Trek, a master for more than two decades in the Himalayas cannot send you out on a trek without the proper travel insurance.
Equipment for the Everest Gokyo Lake Trek
Every trek comes with a set of items necessary to make it more comfortable, and equipment for the Everest Gokyo Lake Trek is not different. Alpine Eco Trek has a list made up to make sure you have everything you need during this incredible trek in the Everest region. If you forgot something at home there is no need to worry as Kathmandu has almost everything for sale and some for rent. Most shops can be found at Thamel also known as a backpacker paradise, and our team can always help you out acquiring lacking equipment that you will need for the Everest Gokyo Lake trek. Also be mindful of which season you come, no need to pack winter gloves or wool mittens if you come in the spring or summer seasons.
What to bring:
- A few pair of thermal underclothes
- Fleece jacket or pullover
- A wind and waterproof jacket
- Down jacket
- 2 pairs of trekking pants
- Mitten or woolen gloves
- Comfortable and warm hiking socks
- Trekking boots with spare laces
- Standard trekking poles
- Water purification item(s)
- Cotton trousers for hiking
- Cap or scarf to protect from the sun
- Toiletries
- A headlight
- Washing towel
- Laundry bag
- A small lock for your backpack
- A rain poncho
- Personal basic first aid kit
Safety during the Everest Gokyo Lake Trek
Your and our employees’ safety during the Everest Gokyo Lake trek is of paramount importance to Alpine Eco Trek. With trekking trails varying from easy going to slippery or rocky terrain, it is important to always listen to the guidance of your trekking guide. These masters of the Himalayas are experts in trail mapping and will know the best way to handle any obstacle than can occur during the trek. Before departing to Lukla a detailed trek briefing will be held and all the safety regulations will be explained to ensure nothing can go wrong. AMS or Acute Mountain Sickness can occur during the Everest Gokyo Lake trek if you are not careful. It is important to inform your guide if you notice any of the symptoms so that they can take the proper steps to prevent or cure this by heading back to a lower elevation or in worse cases call for a rescue helicopter. Most goods in the Everest region are transported via yak or donkey and these animals don’t care who is in the way, it is important to always be at the safe zones on smaller trails, this way the transportation trains can easily bypass you and no accidents can occur.
Responsible Tourism
Wherever you travel, you might have noticed a decrease in the environment. This is mainly due to over-tourism and if not properly controlled leads to an increase in pollution, destruction of wildlife habitats, trail littering, and complaints from local communities. Alpine Eco Trek is strongly for responsible or sustainable tourism and is an active member of the Kathmandu Environmental Education Project also known as KEEP. This means that we try to do our best to educate our trekkers on how to trek responsibly. As so we have a few simple rules we would like our trekkers to follow, that way a good example can be given to others and the environment can be enjoyed for future generations.
- Always respect the local communities, their laws, culture, and beliefs
- Consult with your guide before doing something inside a local community
- Always keep the environment clean, don’t throw rubbish away but carry a garbage bag with you
- Stay on the trails and don’t go alone in the wild as to where you step might be wildlife
- Refrain from buying a lot of plastic bottles
- Buy local to help the economy of the rural villages
Transportation during the Everest Gokyo Lake Hike
Alpine Eco Trek arranges all transportation as described in the itinerary of the trek. This includes airport transfers from and to the international airport, airport transfers to and from the domestic airport, and a two-way flight to and from Lukla. Upon your arrival at the international airport, our representative will await you for a meet and greet with a traditional flower necklace. For those who would like to extend their stay or use private vehicles for sightseeing Alpine Eco Trek can arrange this but note that additional costs will apply.
Extra personal expenses during the Trek
With most things included in the package such as accommodation and meals during the trek, you can have extra personal expenses during the trek. As so it’s important to bring some extra cash with you during the trek as there are no ATMs in the rural villages. Personal expenses can be; extra beverages or snacks, souvenirs, tips, or community support.
Passport and Visa
Like most countries, Nepal requires a valid passport and visa before you can officially enter. Making it easier for tourism Nepal offers an on arrival visa which can be acquired inside the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. Being developed every year there are also now the E-Visa kiosks available, this makes for a smoother visa process. All you need to bring is a valid passport with at least 6 months expiry time available, a couple of passport size photos and the visa fee in USD. For more detailed information you can check out the official immigration website and even apply online for your visa at http://www.nepalimmigration.gov.np/page/tourist-visa. Indian and Chinese nationals can enjoy a free tourist visa.
Booking and Payment Process
The booking and payment process for any trip or trek with Alpine Eco Trek is never made easier. Being officially registered with the Nepalese government under registration number 1907/071 Alpine Eco Trek and Expedition (P) Ltd and associated with various local and international tourism associations traveling with Alpine Eco Trek is 100% safe and secure. Upon completing your booking a 10% deposit of the total trip cost is required and can be paid via bank transfer or credit card. The rest of the amount can be paid upon arrival either in cash or via credit card. The 15% deposit will be made use of guaranteeing your reservations, transportations, guides, and trekking permits.
Alpine Eco Trek also called the mountain family takes great care of all its travelers and with us, you become part of that mountain family. We try to create long-lasting relations with all our travelers and make sure you get the trip you deserve. To make the arrangements of your trip as smooth as possible we humbly request to send as any additional info during your bookings such as your travel insurance, passport copy, and your flight details as soon as possible.
Last-Minute Booking
Having over two decades of experience organizing treks in Nepal, it is now also possible to do last minute booking with Alpine Eco Trek. This last-minute booking can be done up to a day before the trek starts and is required to be paid 100% in full. These type of a booking can be made via the online form of our website, via email or through WhatsApp. Do note that the last-minute booking option is not available for Bhutan or Tibet trips and only for Nepal.
