Makalu Base Camp Trek

Namaste! And welcome to Kathmandu, the colourful capital of Nepal where ornately carved balconies mingle with beautiful shrines and temples. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting on arrival at the exit gate of Kathmandu airport. Our staff will welcome you and pick you to your accommodated hotel. Please seek our company palmplate to find our staff at the main exit gate of the airport. Rest of the day you can relax at the hotel or short evening walk around local market on your own as per your wish.

A well deserved rest day at cosy of hotel after a long tiring flight. This day, one can move around nearby local market to purchase or hire trekking equipment that is necessary for the trekking like sleeping bags, walking sticks etc, exchange currency as requirement or simply walk around in the local market or Kathmandu Durbar squire nearby with small entrance fee as per your preference on your own. Evening at the hotel lobby there will be pre-trip briefing in which you will be introduced with your trekking guide and explained about your trip in short, instruction for safety etc.

On arrival we start trekking along the main trade route to Khandbari 1050m, a bustling market town and the last of any size we will encounter on our trek. After an hour on the flat we climb through bamboo stands and pipaal (bo) trees to reach Khandbari, which is home to Chhetris, Newars, Tamangs and a few Sherpas. Many of the rural houses in the area are made of mud and thatch.

Drive to Num. Meet all Nepali staff

A strenuous day. We cut down into the dense jungles of the Arun Valley, descending 650m to cross the turbulent river by a spectacular suspension bridge, before climbing up the other side, to Seduwa 1600m.

We continue climbing out of the valley, through dense forests of rhododendron, birch and bamboo which are especially rich in flora and fauna. We overnight at Tashigaon 2100m, the last important village on the route.

We have an acclimatisation day at Tashigaon, and a local walk to gain height during the day is recommended, returning to spend a second night at the same altitude. This is a very important aspect of our trek and will undoubtedly assist with the success, as well as with our enjoyment of it.

A long and steady climb but the terrain starts to open out, with less forest and better views of the mountains. Bamboo and rhododendron cover the slopes of the ridge we climb to reach Kongma Danda 3500m.

A day of spectacular scenery with views of Chamlang 7319m and Makalu from the Shipton La 4217m. With its lakes and open heathland, the scenery at the pass is strangely reminiscent of that of the Lake District. After time at the pass enjoying the views, we descend back into the forest at Mumbuk 3540m.

We make our way along the steep side of the Barun Valley. The route may become more challenging as the trails here are little used, except by yak herders whose huts dot the valley slopes. We overnight one of the huts at Yangle Kharka, above the river 3557m.

We descend from your hut to the river and small monastery. It's a pleasant, flatish start keeping the river on your left, with the arresting scent of juniper as you walk. We pass many colourful prayer flags lining the trail. The dramatic cliffs soar either side of you, and the views ahead are dominated by Peak 4, Peak 6, Peak 7 and Yaupa. It really is a fabulous day, with jagged snow-clad summits, vertical cliffs, waterfalls, and sacred caves as a visual feast.

The trail opens out as we walk past the pastures of Jhak Kharka, Yak Kharka and eventually Merek where a welcome tea shop appears after about 2½ hours of walking. You'll doubtless indulge in a cup of chai here before continuing upwards. Take it slow and steady here as you will no doubt be feeling the altitude as you toil upwards towards Langmale Kharka. It takes around 2 hours to reach your tea house at Langmale from Merek. The views here are sublime, with Peak 7 providing a breath-taking backdrop to the lodge rooms. A mani wall adorned by prayer flags sits just in front of the row of rooms. Black redstarts and choughs are quite commonplace here.

A truly sublime day on the trail today; Peak 7 is an almost constant companion whilst Peak 6 sits directly ahead, looking quite Ama-Dablam-esque. You begin ascending on a good path - the going feels tough at this altitude so take it very easy. We'll be keeping the river on our left as we twist and turn our way around the valley. As we round each bend we'll have another dramatic aspect to marvel at. In parts we'll be hopping from boulder to boulder, but mostly we're on a reasonable, sandy trail. Obviously we are gaining 400m of height to your destination, but the trail undulates gently and there are only a few steeper sections to get we puffing.

Peak 4 comes into view as you progress. After a couple of hours walking, we reach a wide, flat area with a locked small stone hut - this is called Shershong, at 4,630m, making a good camping area. Eventually Makalu comes tantilisingly into view. Its formidable face with its icefalls, crevasses, jagged edges and seracs makes us gaze up in awe. As we round a few bends, we wonder when the base camp will reveal itself. Eventually we will see the lodges and (if in spring) a huddle of tents which mark the base camp. You descend, cross the river, and in five minutes we arrive at your long-awaited destination. As we would expect, the world's fifth highest mountain, Makalu, completely dominates the view. Many Tibetan snowcocks, hill pigeons, black redstarts and mountain finches may be seen around the base camp.

It is important to spend today acclimatising at Makalu base camp 4870m, a pleasant grassy spot. The impressive south face of Makalu can be seen in its entirety just 3 miles away. Sunrise and sunset against these giant mountains can be very spectacular though we have the whole day to enjoy the peaceful solitude of the place, exploring at leisure  In the remarkably clear air, there may be wonderful opportunities for photography.

It's with a heavy heart that we leave behind the overwhelming spectacle of Mount Makalu, and begin re-tracing our steps to Yangle Kharka. It takes around 1½ hours to reach the meadow of Shershong, marked with a hut with bright orange tarpaulin. A further hour or so brings we back to Langmale, where we may have tea and possibly lunch. About 1¼ hours walking downhill brings us next to the tea shop at Merek. It's good to chill here with a cup of chai before weaving our way through pine forests back to Yangle Kharka. It takes approximately 2-2½ hours to reach here from the tea shop at Merek. A welcome hot shower awaits if you pay 200 rupees!

It's a really pleasant gentle meander following the river down to the tea shop at Themathang, passing many rhododendron bushes as you approach. There's a wooden bridge adorned by prayer flags to cross just before Themathang. It'll take around 1½ hours to reach here.

After a short while we will have to negotiate the landslide area, which takes around 1½ hours. Take care on this as there are some narrow sections to pass. After an undulating stretch, we start climbing steeply through the rhododendron forest. If you're lucky we may see a Himalayan monal here - Nepal's national bird, resplendent in its rainbow colours. The going eventually eases and the ascent becomes more gradual as you approach the hut at Dobate. Take note that after the tea shop at Themathang, which comes early in your walk, there are no other refreshment stops until you reach Dobate, so make sure you take plenty of snacks.

Today is our last chance to get captivating views of the high mountains, including Kangchenjunga. We begin ascending to the Keke La at 4,170m, which should take around 1½ hours. It's a further 1½ hours to reach our highest point today - the Shipton La at 4,200m. Enjoy our stop here at the tea house. Another hour or so of contouring round the mountainside will bring us to the large cairn that marks Sano Pokhari Danda at 4,105m. A further hour of undulations brings us back to the final pass - the Khongma La at 3,890m, marked by a mani wall. Approximately 250m of descent, mainly on stone steps, brings us back to our lodge at Khongma. Look out for blood pheasant which can occasionally be seen wandering in the snow between the rhododendron bushes.

We descend from Khongma down to Dhara Kharka which takes around 2 hours. We'll no doubt stop for a cup of tea here. The descent to Tashigaon then takes a further 3 hours.

Retracing our steps back to Seduwa today will take around 4-5 hours.

It's a long, fairly steep climb, mainly on stone steps, all the way down to the Arun River at 770m. It will be feeling very warm now as we head deep into the forest lower down. We cross the river and endure the 800m climb all the way back to Num. It's a good idea to have lunch at a tea house approximately 300m below Num.

Drive to Tumlingtar about 3 hours offroad and Tumlingtar.

Weather permitting we take a short early morning flight from Tumlingtar to Kathmandu. We'll return to the hotel and have free time during the afternoon for further sightseeing or shopping.

This is the final day in Nepal. A chance to do some shopping, explore at leisure or merely relax by the hotel. We enjoy a final night together, reliving the trek and our extraordinary achievements. Shop in some of Kathmandu's many markets for clothing, embroidery, carpets or ceramics. If shopping is not your thing, take a trip over the Bagmati River to the adjacent city of Patan, with its abundance of temples and monasteries.

We say 'Namaste' for memories that will last a lifetime. There are no activities planned for today and you are able to depart the hotel at any time. Check out time from the hotel is at 12 noon. If you are departing later, you can arrange luggage storage at the hotel. For your final departure, our staff will pick you up from the hotel and transfer to Kathmandu airport approximately 3 hours prior to your international flight time.