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Cho Oyu Photo Gallery - Khumjung to Gokyo, with views of Cho Oyu, Gyachung Kang, Cholatse, Taweche, Kangtega, and Thamserku.

I trekked to Gokyo in Nepal in 2000.

To Gokyo 1-0 Google Earth Image Of Everest Nepal Area The trek to the Gokyo Lakes has it all - beautiful alpine lakes, spectacular mountain views and Nepal’s largest glacier, the Ngozumpa. The trek can be continued to the foot of Cho Oyu and Gyachung Kang peaks. Here is a view of Gokyo Valley and Khumbu area from Google Earth, showing the main places I visited.

To Gokyo 1-0 Google Earth Image Of Everest Nepal Area

To Gokyo 1-1 Ama Dablam At Sunrise From Khumjung After an early breakfast, I passed the Mani wall and again chanted ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’, and ‘Buddha please show me the right way’. I headed off on the path towards my next stop in Dole. The sun shone over Ama Dablam, silhouetting a few early rising trekkers. After walking a few minutes I passed an old woman leading her sheep. I walked past her. She yelled at me. I stopped, looked at her, and continued walking. She yelled again and tugged my arm. She motioned down the hill I was ascending. I said, “Gokyo?” and pointed up the trail. She simply pointed down the hill. I finally got it through my brain that she was telling me I was on the wrong trail. I waved at her and walked down the hill and took the first trail hugging the hillside. I started walking. I heard another sound from above. I looked up and saw the same woman yelling again. I stopped and she stopped. I started walking slowly, and she started yelling again. I turned around and walked down to the next path that went in the opposite direction. This time the woman remained silent. I yelled ‘Thank you’, waved and continued walking.

To Gokyo 1-1 Ama Dablam At Sunrise From Khumjung

To Gokyo 1-2 Trail From Khumjung To Mong After fifteen minutes from Khumjung, I came to a fork in the path towards Mong - one leg went upwards on a steep staircase-like trail, the other traversed around the ridge. The upper path looked dangerous in parts, so I took the horizontal path. I continued on and walking around the corner could see the Gokyo valley starting to open up to my left. I watched with interest as a wall of fog rapidly ascended up the valley, and soon visibility dropped to a few metres

To Gokyo 1-2 Trail From Khumjung To Mong

To Gokyo 1-3 Mong I continued on and finally reached a few teahouses at Mong (3973m) and had a coke and chocolate bar for morning snack.

To Gokyo 1-3 Mong

To Gokyo 1-4 Phortse Crossing the spur at Mong, the trail enters the Gokyo Valley with the village of Phortse (3800m) across the valley.

To Gokyo 1-4 Phortse

To Gokyo 1-5 Ascent From Phortse Tenga The trail from Mong descends on steep switchbacks to Phortse Tenga (3680m), a few houses next to the bridge over the Dudh Kosi River, before climbing through birch and rhododendron woods.

To Gokyo 1-5 Ascent From Phortse Tenga

To Gokyo 1-6 Waterfall Near Dole The trail passed a beautiful snowy waterfall just before Dole on the first day of the trek to Gokyo.

To Gokyo 1-6 Waterfall Near Dole

To Gokyo 1-7 Dole Lodge, Dole And Kangtega And Thamserku I arrived at the cluster of teahouses at Dole (4040m) around noon and had lunch at the Himalayan Lodge before lying in my sleeping bag, reading a book and sleeping. I had a delicious dinner of potatoes and soup in the large central room in the lodge. I watched the kitchen staff quickly cook many diverse items for the different trekkers. The next morning, I looked back at Dole with Kangtega and Thamserku above at the end of the valley.

To Gokyo 1-7 Dole Lodge, Dole And Kangtega And Thamserku

To Gokyo 2-1 Cho Oyu From Just Beyond Dole As I left crested the small pass above Dole, Cho Oyu was visible at the end of the Gokyo Valley.

To Gokyo 2-1 Cho Oyu From Just Beyond Dole

To Gokyo 2-2 Jerome Ryan At Lhabarma, Luza With Trekker Monument, Jerome Ryan At Pass I stopped at the local Holy Day Inn in Lhabarma (4330m) for an early morning soft drink. Just before entering Luza (4360m) on my way to Machhermo, I passed a monument to a trekker who died from altitude sickness.

To Gokyo 2-2 Jerome Ryan At Lhabarma, Luza With Trekker Monument, Jerome Ryan At Pass

To Gokyo 2-3 Jerome Ryan At Pass, Machhermo, Jerome Ryan Washing Hair At Namgyal Lodge The hike from Dole was very gentle, and I too quickly arrived at my night’s stop at Machhermo (4410m) at 9am. I stayed at the Namgyal Lodge, and had breakfast and washed my hair and clothes.

To Gokyo 2-3 Jerome Ryan At Pass, Machhermo, Jerome Ryan Washing Hair At Namgyal Lodge

To Gokyo 2-4 Namgyal Lodge in Machhermo With Kyajo Ri The Namgyal Lodge in Machhermo (4410m) is situated at the mouth of a rocky amphitheatre to the west, capped by the pointy peak Kyajo Ri (6186m).

To Gokyo 2-4 Namgyal Lodge in Machhermo With Kyajo Ri

To Gokyo 2-5 Kangtega And Thamserku Machhermo Kangtega and Thamserku dominated the view down the valley from Machhermo.

To Gokyo 2-5 Kangtega And Thamserku Machhermo

To Gokyo 2-6 Looking Ahead To Cho Oyu From Machhermo As I walked from Machhermo towards Pangka, I could see the trail ahead towards Gokyo, with Cho Oyu dominating the end of the valley.

To Gokyo 2-6 Looking Ahead To Cho Oyu From Machhermo

To Gokyo 2-7 Pangka, Na From Machhermo, I walked up the trail for thirty minutes to the small village of Pangka (4480m) and sat on a rock watching several yak trains crossing the bridge to the small village of Na at the foot of the Nguzumpa Glacier, and the local villagers tilling the soil. The small village of Pangka was the site of a trekking tragedy after an extremely heavy snowfall on November 9-10, 1995. The lodge was jam-packed with 13 Japanese, 11 Nepali guides and porters, and two local people when the avalanche struck. All occupants were killed except a 17-year-old kitchen boy who survived burial in the wreckage for 40 hours before being rescued.

To Gokyo 2-7 Pangka, Na

To Gokyo 3-1 Cho Oyu At Sunrise From Machhermo The next morning I left Machhermo before dawn and watched the sun slowly come down the south face of Cho Oyu, changing it from a golden yellow to extremely bright white within a few minutes.

To Gokyo 3-1 Cho Oyu At Sunrise From Machhermo

To Gokyo 3-2 Cho Oyu Just After Sunrise From Machhermo The south face of Cho Oyu quickly changes to a bright white just after sunrise, seen from just beyond Machhermo on the way to Gokyo.

To Gokyo 3-2 Cho Oyu Just After Sunrise From Machhermo

To Gokyo 3-3 Cholatse And Taweche From Machhermo The early morning sun comes up over Cholatse and Taweche, seen from just beyond Macchermo on the way to Gokyo.

To Gokyo 3-3 Cholatse And Taweche From Machhermo

To Gokyo 3-4 Trail From Pangka To First Gokyo Lake After passing Pangka, I started to ascend the steep rock trail leading to Gokyo. I stopped and had a chocolate bar as the sun finally came to me. I was now at the end of Nguzumpa Glacier, the largest in Nepal.

To Gokyo 3-4 Trail From Pangka To First Gokyo Lake

To Gokyo 3-5 First Gokyo Lake Longpanga And Cho Oyu Cho Oyu glistened white at the end of the valley from Longpanga (4650m), the first of five Gokyo lakes,

To Gokyo 3-5 First Gokyo Lake Longpanga And Cho Oyu

To Gokyo 3-6 First Gokyo Lake And Brahminy Duck A family of Brahminy ducks lives at the first Gokyo Lake.

To Gokyo 3-6 First Gokyo Lake And Brahminy Duck

To Gokyo 3-7 Second Gokyo Lake Taujun Taujun (4710m) is the second Gokyo Lake. Kangtega and Thamserku dominate the end of the Gokyo Valley.

To Gokyo 3-7 Second Gokyo Lake Taujun


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