Reference Code: MBENP
Trip Start: Kathmandu
Trek Start: Lukla
Trek Days: 27 Days
Peak Climbing Period: 12 Days
Maximum Altitude: 7129m.
Age: 20 years to 60 years
Season: Spring and Autumn
Accommodation: Lodge and Camp
Service: Full board
Destination: Nepal
Trip End: Kathmandu
Trek End: Lukla
Trip Durations: 32 Days
Peak Grade: Hard
Physical Rating: Strenuous
Group Size: 4-12
Theme: Expedition
Meals: Standard
Mt. Baruntse 7129m. is a mountain in the Khumbu region of eastern Nepal, crowned by four peaks and bounded on the south by the Hunku Glacier, on the east by the Barun Glacier, and on the northwest by the Imja Glacier. The mountain was first climbed May 30, 1954 via the south ridge by Colin Todd and Geoff Harrow of a New Zealand expedition led by Sir Edmund Hillary. The first ascent of the East Ridge was made on April 27, 1980 by Lorenzo Ortas, Javier Escartín, Jeronimo Lopez (all Spain) and Carlos Buhler (America) of a Spanish expedition led by Juan José Díaz Ibañez.
Accessing the mountain is usually gained from the South, where climbers can ascend Mera Peak to acclimatise before moving up the valley to Baruntse base camp.
Day 01 Arrival in Kathmandu and transfer to hotel
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.
Approximate Driving Hours: 30 minutes
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals include: None
Day 02 Rest and preparation day
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.
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals include: Breakfast
Day 03 Official Works And Pre Trip Briefing By Officers Of Ministry Of Tourism
Day is at leisure to make necessary preparation for your big adventure and process for the Government formalities. Check the equipment, last minute shopping. Team will need to go to Ministry of Tourism for the Briefing before expedition.
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals include: Breakfast
Day 04: Fly from Kathmandu to Lukla [2800m] and Trek to Chhuthang [3020m]
45 minutes flight & 4-5 hrs Trek Lodge
After having breakfast we will head toward the domestic air terminal for a scenic mountain flight towards Lukla. Lukla is the gateway to the entire Khumbu Region. After landing at the airstrip at Lukla, we will start our trek towards Chhuthang. From Lukla, we will pass through pastures and forests. We will be trekking on the trail below the Kalo Himal. The trail through many beautiful hamlets towards Chhuthang will lure our heart.
Day 05: Trek from Chhuthang to Tuli Kharka [4100m] via Zatrawala Pass [4600m]
5-6 hrs Trek Lodge
From chhuthang we will proceed to Zatrawala pass at an altitude of 4600m through the remote trails. The hike to Zatrawala Pass is quite steep. As soon as you reach the top of the pass, you will be fascinated with the superb view of Number Himal, Kongo Ri, Karyolang Peak and other surrounding peaks. After spending some beautiful moments at the pass, we will descend down to Tuli Kharka.
Day 06: Trek from Tuli kharka to Kothe [4182m]
6-7 hrs Trek Lodge
From Tuli Kharka our trek will be completely exciting. We will be trekking through a dense forest of rhododendron, oak, pine and juniper trees. Today we will have a magnificent view of Mount Mera and other surrounding mountains. A steep descent to the Hinku River and the final uphill climb will lead us to Kothe. Kothe lies to the west of Hinku valley and offers serene wilderness. Exploration around the beautiful village of Kothe is just amazing.
Day 07: Trek from Kothe to Thangnak [4326m]
4-5 hrs Trek Lodge
The walk to Thangnak is quick and easy. From here we will be moving along the Ridge of Hinku River towards Gondishung. We will pass by Lungsumgba Gompa which was built around 200 years ago. The trail is a very gentle incline along the river. From here we can see Mera Peak, Kusum Kanguru Peak and many more. We will continue along a rather easy walking trail that leads us to the summer grazing area of Thangnak. This place has a few numbers of lodges and shops.
Day 08: Trek from Thangnak to Khare [5000m/16400ft]
5-6 hrs Trek Lodge
We will now go over Hinku and Shar Glacier and start a steep climb all the way to Khare. Our walk through the moraine leads us to an enchanting valley. Then we will take a short steep climb until Khare. From here we will have an enchanting view of Northern face of Mera Peak. Beside that Khare offers a number of good hikes for exploration and acclimatization. In addition to this, this section of our trek is a mixture of both fairly easy and moderately difficult experiences.
Day 09: Rest at Khare
1 day rest Lodge
Acclimatization is very necessary at a higher altitude to avoid mental and physical sickness. As we are above 5000m altitude, we will spend a rest day at Khare for acclimatization and exploration. Proper acclimatization is a must for successful Baruntse Peak Climbing. Our crew member will check climbing gears before heading further to the higher camps. There is a nearby hill which can provide us with a good hike of a few hundred meters. Beside that, we will have a short mountaineering training on this day.
Day 10: Trek from Khare to Mera La Pass [5400m]
4-5 hrs Trek Tented Camp
This is an exciting day. After breakfast, we will leave Khare and follow an impressive trail that goes over a rocky platform above the western ridge of Mera Glacier and follow it to the pass. We will reach the Mera La Pass. From the top of the pass, we will have mesmerizing views of high snow-capped mountains in the Khumbu region. Our trail descends gently to reach our campsite just below the pass.
Day 11: Trek from Mera La Pass to Seto Pokhari [4850m]
5-6 hrs Trek Tented Camp
Today we will follow the trail that heads higher into the yak pasture grounds of the remote valley. Our trail leads directly into the epicentre of the world's towering mountains with stunning views of high alpine valleys and surrounding mountains. After some time of trekking, we will reach our campsite near Seto Pokhari. Seto Pokhari literally means 'White Lake' in Nepali language and is the first of the series of lakes in Upper Hongu Basin.
Day 12: Trek from Seto Pokhari to Baruntse Base Camp [5300m]
4-5 hrs Trek Tented Camp
Today we will cross the wide and grassy valley scattered with small boulders. The valley is more barren and rugged the more we climb higher. Then we will pass several passes on our left and trek to the Baruntse Base Camp. The trek includes serene wilderness, unique landscape and unbelievable cultural exposure.
Day 13-24: Summit Mt. Baruntse [7129m] and back to Base Camp
12 days climbing towards Mt. Barunste Tented Camp
This is the most important period of our trek. We will spend our days ascending the summit of most awaited Mt. Baruntse. After spending some days for acclimatization and exercise we will be taken to the high camps closer to the summit. Our climbing experts will set up additional camps above the base camp, serve hygienic foods, explore the easier climbing route. We will be trekking from lower camp to the higher camp or vice versa for more practice and acclimatization. Fully equipped and acclimatized, following the instructions of our expert guides, finally we will hike up to the summit. The weather can change at any time and make our climb rather challenging as well as technical. The summit brings you a lot of happiness with astonishing views of Everest, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Makalu and Kanchenjunga, Nuptse, Mera Peak and many more. After spending some quality time at the summit we will traverse back to the Base camp and put up our camp for the night stay.
Day 25: Cleaning base camp and return to Seto Pokhari [4850m]
3-4 hrs Trek Tented Camp
This is basically a short trek. We will take our time for cleaning and drying equipment. We will have a hot bath for healing and relaxing after an effortful climb up. Most importantly, we will collect all the garbage we produced to manage the disposal. Then, we will start to retrace our steps back on the same trail that descends gradually through Honku Valley. We will continue until we reach Seto Pokhari.
Day 26: Trek from Seto Pokhari to Mera La Pass
5-6 hrs Trek Tented Camp
Today we will trek through the high altitude route. This is one of the remotest parts of the Himalayas. We will descend through the remote alpine valley. After trekking down for some time we will start to follow a rising trail that ascends gradually towards campsite just below Mera La Pass.
Day 27: Trek from Mera La Pass to Thangnak
6-7 hrs Trek Lodge
Now we will be climbing on a steep trail towards Mera La Pass. We will enjoy the majestic view of the high alpine valley with surrounding Himalayas. After having spent some quality time at the top of the pass we shall descend pass through Khare to reach Thangnak.
Day 28: Trek from Thangnak to Kothe
4-5 hrs Trek Lodge
Today’s trek will be the most downhill trekking. After having breakfast we will move towards Kothe by retracing our own footsteps. We will be trekking back into a subtropical forest from a high alpine region. We will continue moving until we approach Kothe for our night stay.
Day 29: Trek from Kothe to Tuli Kharka
5-6 hrs Trek Lodge
Today’s trek is an initial gradual ascend on the trail that goes along the dense forest. We will be traversing through the western section of the Hinku Valley towards Tuli Kharka. We will have astonishing views of Mera North, Mera Central, and southern face of Mera Peak from Tuli Kharka.
Day 30: Trek from Tuli Kharka to Lukla
5-6 hrs Trek Lodge
Our last day walk of this adventurous trip will lead us to the high ridge of Kalo Himal. We will cross Zatrawala Pass by ascending a moderately steep trail. When we reach the top of the pass, we will descend down the hill and cross Chutanga all the way to Lukla. This trekking trail offers us plenty of wonderful scenes of dazzling silver mountains at the backdrop.
Day 31: Fly back to Kathmandu from Lukla Airport
30 min flight Hotel/Resort
After having breakfast, we will take an early morning scenic flight from Lukla to Kathmandu. You will be transferred to the hotel. You can either have rest in the hotel or visit the remaining Heritage sites in the valley. Walking around the busy streets of Thamel can be worth spending quality time in Kathmandu. In the evening we will celebrate the successful completion of Baruntse.
Day 32: International Departure as per flight schedule
Now it is the time for farewell. Our representatives of Nepal Guide Treks and Expedition will drop you at the International Airport as per your flight schedule. You need to get into the airport 3 hours prior to your flight. On broad, you have plenty of good memories of Baruntse Peak Climbing.
Inclusion
- Arrival & Departure Airport transfers
- 5 nights in Kathmandu Hotel Gokarna Forest Resort on BB
- Flight: Ktm-Lukla-Ktm with airport tax & Cargo
- Climbing Permit, National Park Khumbu and Makalu Barun
- TIMs (Trekking Information Management system)
- Icefall route and and summit route fees
- 1 Government Liaison officer and Garbage Deposit Fees
- 1 Trekking & Base camp Manager
- 1 Cook and Kitchen helper at the Base camp
- 85 kgs per member for personal Equipments
- All required porters to carry members equipment and Food & Group Equipment
- All Nepali staffs' Insurance/ wages and equipment allowance
- Lodge accommodation as per itinerary
- All camping equiments for Base Camp & High Camp for member & Sherpa
- 1 Solar Pannel for light & battery charge at Base Camp
- 1 Gas heater for Dinning tent at Base camp
- 1 VE 25 North Face Tent per member at Base camp
- Base Camp Food for member & for all our Nepali staffs
- High Altitude Climbing Sherpa- Everest Summiter
- High Altitude Food for member & High altitude Sherpa
- 18 EPI gas 250mg / High Altitude Cooking Pot & cooking Stove ,
- 6 bottle oxygen with Mask & regulator for Member
- 4 bottle oxyent with Mask & regulator High Altitude Sherpa
- 1 Satelite phone and Radio Walkie talkies set for Group Use
- All necessary Climbing route equipments
- First Aid Kit & 1 Gamow bag for group Use
- Farewell Dinner in Kathmandu
Exclusion
- International Flight to Kathmandu Nepal
- Nepalese Visa fee
- Lunch & Dinner in Kathmandu
- Personal Travel, Medical and rescue Insurance
- All personal climbing equipments for ascent
- High Altitude Sherpa Summit bonus US$ 2500 Per Sherpa, if Summit
- High altitude Climbing Bonus US$ 1500 Per sherpa if not Summit
- Extra nights in Kathmandu hotel
- Tips for supporting staffs
- Extra Yaks or porter & Extra Oxygen bottle (on request only)
- Emergency rescue evacuation cost if needed
- and All other personal nature expenses
Climbing Gear
- Ice Axe: Bring a light weight axe with a pick that will stick easily in hard glacier ice. Attach a light weight wrist leash that is usable for climbing steeper terrain.
- Crampons: These must be sharp and must fit your boot perfectly.
- Harness: Make sure the buckle is easy for you to thread in cold conditions! Gear loops will be useful for this trip as well as adjustable leg loops.
- Helmet: Be sure you can comfortably fit a warm hat underneath.
- Hardware: Bring 3 locking and 4 lightweight regular carabiners. It is helpful if at least one of the locking carabiners has a "key gate", like the Petzl Attaché. Bring one handled ascender and one Petzl Tibloc for ascending the fixed rope. You will need rigging material--two sewn 48" nylon slings and 10' of 8 mm perlon should be sufficient. Also include one small 5 mm prussik loop (about 4 feet of cord tied with a double fisherman's knot) for a rappel backup. For rappelling the Black Diamond ATC Guide is good since it can handle ropes from 7.7mm to 11mm. A Figure 8 is an old standby and works on a variety of ropes and also icy ropes. While it twists the ropes more, it is quite foolproof. You might consider both, in case you drop one of them and lose it. Our guide have Ice tool, Ice screws, Carabineers, Locking carabineers, Short-5- millimeter accessory cords, Slings.
Others Accessories
- Headlamp: Bring a good LED headlamp with 2 sets of lithium batteries for cold conditions.
- Water Bottles: 2 wide mouth plastic water bottles with insulated covers. A small Thermos bottle is great for cold mornings. Bring a pee bottle too.
- Water purification: Iodine tablets (Potable Aqua or similar) or iodine crystals (Polar Pure). One bottle of Potable Aqua (enough to treat 25 liters) should be more than sufficient.
- Utensils: Bring an insulated mug with a lid, a decent sized bowl, spoon, pocket knife and lighter.
- Backpack: Climbing Backpack: Medium size internal frame pack (60 liter capacity). Look for a pack which is comfortable to carry, very durable, as light as is reasonable and one which has a minimum number of bells and whistles.
- Sleeping Bag: Bring a sleeping bag comfortable to -20. Down is lighter and much more compressible. Be sure to bring a compression stuff sack. Keep in mind that many of your nights will be much warmer than -20, especially on the trek in to base camp.
- Sleeping Mats: A stuff sack helps prevent punctures.
Footwear
- Double Climbing Boots with expedition liners. Make sure your crampons can be adjusted to fit them!
- Approach boots. Which will work on the trek and approach to Camp 1, and even up to Camp 2 if conditions warrant.
- Gaiters and Yaktrax or Kahtoola Micro spikes in case of snow.
- Socks: Three/Four sets of climbing socks.
Climbing Clothing
- Insulated Parka: Heavyweight insulated expedition parka with hood.
- Jacket: Lightweight waterproof-breathable construction with a hood.
- Pants: Lightweight waterproof-breathable shell pants or bibs with full-length leg zippers. ALSO very useful are synthetic insulation full-zip pants, for example, Mountain Hardware Compressor Pants--for evenings and cold summit days.
- Mid Layers: Fleece or Soft Shell layering pieces that work well with the rest of your clothing. A Soft Shell jacket and an expedition weight long john top will work well.
- Climbing Pants: Look for construction that provides freedom of movement and/or stretch materials. Fabric should be a breathable synthetic that preferably holds up to abrasion.
- Base Layers: - 2 synthetic tops and 1 bottom. Zip neck tops are the way to go.
- Mittens: Fleece mittens with an over mitten. Nothing competes with a mitten for warmth when the going got tough.
- Ski Gloves: A warm insulated glove with leather palm will be worn a lot of the time.
- Light Gloves: Polypropylene or fleece. Leather palms handle the fixed line better.
- Leather gloves or good abrasion resistant climbing glove for the rock sections.
- Stocking Hat: Wool or fleece stocking hat with ear protection.
- Neck Gaiter and/or a Buff (highly recommended).
- Baseball hat and Bandana.
Personal Accessories
- Eyewear: Bring good sunglasses with side protection. For contact lens wearers, ski goggles with light color lenses (for use at night) might be useful in windy conditions. The ski goggles are essential for all climbers in really stormy conditions and can serve as an emergency backup for broken or lost sunglasses.
- Vision correction: Bring extra prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses if you wear them. Lens solutions are not widely available in Nepal, bring enough for the duration.
- Wrist Watch: With alarm and night light. An altimeter watch is useful.
- First Aid: Hand sanitizer (Purell), moleskin or Compede, athletic tape, aspirin (some climbers take a baby aspirin every day up high) and/or ibuprofen / acetaminophen, Imodium, Band-Aids, antacid, insect repellant, ear plugs, and two rolls of toilet paper in quart Ziploc bags (we will have a supply at Base Camp), small towel, soap/shampoo.
- Prescription Medications: Antibiotic for upper respiratory problems, Antibiotic for GI problems, Diamox for acclimatization (125 mg tabs recommended; enough for a week or more), Tylenol 3 or similar for severe headaches, Asthma medication, if any history.
- Skin Care: Sun block lotion (at least #30 protection factor -- have at least one smaller tube (1 oz) that can fit in your pocket) and lip salve. Put your lip protection on a string and hang it from your neck. That way you'll use it. It also works great for your nose.
- Garbage Bags: 2 or 3 large plastic bags make great liners for your pack in wet weather.
- Personal Snack Food: The food is great on the trek but you might enjoy a few snacks (not more than 5 pounds) from home and also some drink mixes if you like these to add to your water bottle (let the iodine have 30 minutes contact time before adding). Summit climbers should bring some high altitude snacks they prefer for hard days.
- MP3 Player and Books: Plan on sharing books with the Base Camp Library.
- Pee Bottle
- Chemical Hand Warmers
Trekking Gear
- Trekking Poles: Poles come in handy for balance and easing impact to your knees. Get collapsible poles that can attach to your backpack and fit into your duffel.
- Backpack: You may choose to bring a smaller "daypack" for your airline travel carry on, and this can be used on the trek if you want to carry a smaller (35 liter or so), light trekking pack. You need a pack big enough for your clothes, water, camera, food, etc during the day.
- Pack Cover: Waterproof rain cover for your trekking pack.
- Trekking Clothes: Light hiking pants and / or hiking shorts for warm weather down low- NOT cotton. Shirts for hiking on nice days (t-shirts OK, quick-drying synthetic fabric is better.) Don't overdo your trekking clothes. A pair of shorts, long pants and a couple of shirts will do. Some pair of Socks, Underpants/panties/Bra, Belt, Skirt, one set Sport sandals and Trousers, You can hand wash them during the trek as needed.
- Lightweight Approach Boots: Find a pair that fits and log some miles in them before your trip. A low cut shoe is adequate, but some hikers will prefer more ankle support.
- Sleeping Bag: Climbers will make do with their expedition bag; trekkers only can get by with a lighter bag rated to -10.
- Sleeping Pad or Thermarest-one light one is sufficient, you will be provided a thick open cell foam "trekking mattress" (recommend only for camping trek).
Travel Items
- Duffel Bags: We normally pack all our equipment in two large duffel bags. Make sure they are well labeled with indelible ink as well as a travel tag. The duffels go on the trek/climb with you and will be carried by porters and yaks. Expect for them to get wet and muddy, so rugged, waterproof duffels are good. Bags with wheels are nice for the airport, but the porters and yaks don't like to carry them, so don't bring wheeled bags (or at least not two of them). You will also store some travel clothes at the hotel in Kathmandu while trekking, so a small additional bag with a lock might be handy. Bring 5 large plastic garbage bags to pack gear inside duffels to protect gear from rain.
- Daypack: A smaller rucksack makes a great carry-on bag for your flight and is useful during the trek.
- Travel Wallet: Some type of secure travel wallet is a must. Remember a pen for travel documents.
- Passport (valid for at least 6 months), It is easy to get your Nepal visa on arrival in Kathmandu at the airport bring a passport photo. Bring a copy of the information pages and a couple of extra passport photographs. Carry these in a separate location. You'll be glad you did if you ever lose a passport.
- Camera: with spare batteries, and film or memory cards, but keep it reasonable in size and weight. Consider a small USB drive to make it easy to share photos with your teammates.
- Bathing Suit: Towel, Toothpaste and brush, floss, mini hair brush, razor, soap, mini bottle of shampoo, travel mirror, nail clippers etc.
