Island Peak Climbing – 19 Days

Island Peak (Imja Tse, 6,189 m / 20,305 ft) is Nepal's most popular first 6,000 m summit, and our 19-day package combines it with Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar for the best acclimatization. Run by Nepal Trekking Trail, a product of Actual Adventure Pvt. Ltd. in Kathmandu, the trip is led by our own licensed Sherpa climbing guides who know the Imja Valley route season after season.

The peak got its name in 1953, when members of the British Everest expedition saw it rising like an island in a sea of ice from Dingboche. Today it is the classic training climb for anyone who dreams of bigger Himalayan peaks, yet it is achievable for fit trekkers with basic rope skills, which our guides teach at Base Camp.

The route follows the Everest trail through Lukla, Namche Bazaar and Tengboche, reaches Everest Base Camp (5,364 m) and Kala Patthar (5,545 m), then turns into the quiet Chhukung valley. Summit day crosses moraine, a glacier and a 40–45° headwall on fixed ropes before the airy summit ridge, with Lhotse's 3,000 m south face towering directly above.

Highlights

• Stand on the summit of Island Peak (6,189 m) with close views of Lhotse (8,516 m), Makalu (8,485 m), Ama Dablam and Baruntse
• Visit Everest Base Camp (5,364 m) and watch sunrise on Everest from Kala Patthar (5,545 m)
• Hands-on pre-climb training at Base Camp: crampons, ice axe, fixed ropes, jumar and abseiling
• Scenic mountain flight to Lukla and trekking through Sagarmatha National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Sherpa culture in Namche Bazaar, Khumjung and the Tengboche Monastery
• Two planned acclimatization days plus one reserve summit day for weather
• Small groups with a 1:2 climbing guide-to-climber ratio on summit day
• Complimentary Actual Adventure duffel bag, and guaranteed quality sleeping bag and down jacket hire

Fact File

Why Island Peak?

Island Peak is the best-value introduction to Himalayan mountaineering: a real glaciated 6,000 m summit, reached in under three weeks, with the Everest Base Camp trek built in.

• The ideal first 6,000 m peak. Non-technical approach, one short steep headwall on fixed ropes and a dramatic summit ridge. No prior climbing summit is required.
• A stepping stone to bigger goals. Climbers use it to test themselves before Lobuche East, Mera Peak, Ama Dablam or an 8,000 m expedition.
• Two goals in one trip. Everest Base Camp, Kala Patthar and a Himalayan summit on the same itinerary.
• Unmatched scenery. The summit sits in an amphitheatre beneath Lhotse, with Makalu, Baruntse, Ama Dablam and Cho Polu all around.

Why climb with Nepal Trekking Trail?

• Local and licensed. We are a Kathmandu-based company (Actual Adventure Pvt. Ltd.), registered with the Government of Nepal and the Nepal Mountaineering Association. No middlemen, so your money stays with the team that guides you.
• Experienced Sherpa climbing guides trained in rope work, first aid and high-altitude rescue, with many Island Peak summits each.
• Safety-first acclimatization. Our itinerary follows the "climb high, sleep low" principle, with EBC and Kala Patthar before the climb and a reserve summit day.
• Fair treatment of staff. Guides and porters are insured, properly equipped and carry no more than the legal load limit.
• Daily health checks with a pulse oximeter, and a full first-aid kit carried by the team.
• Personal service before, during and after the trip, with 24/7 support from our Kathmandu office.

Detailed Itinerary

Island Peak Climbing – 19 Days Route Map