EVEREST ONE
We are looking for fit and healthy optometrists to provide primary eye care for people of the Everest National Park. You will be testing at the villages of Khunde, Thame and Phortse. Avoid the human traffic and take the route less taken to Gokyo Ri where you will see Everest and three 8000m peaks.
Date: October 20 to 5 November 2024
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with us at hello@eyes4everest.org.au
SAMPLE ITINERARY
Day 1
PRE-TREK: Meet & Greet in Kathmandu (1330m)
Welcome to Nepal! We will meet you at our allocated accommodation in Kathmandu. Today is about meeting and getting to know everyone, checking your gear and preparing you for the journey ahead. We will take you shopping in Thamel for any last minute needs i.e. exchange cash/purchase SIM cards/gear/snacks/toilet paper. The streets are packed with an array of trekking gear where you can choose from Nepalese beanies, poles and clothing to your heart’s content. We then enjoy dinner together at our favourite restaurant and an early night sleep.
Day 2
Fly to Lukla (2800m). Trek to Monjo (2850m)
We travel to the domestic airport in the early hours of the morning to avoid any flight delays. A packed breakfast will be provided so you don't get too hungry. A meet and greet with our personal Sherpa guides and porters will take place at our Lukla Teahouse. Then the trek begins! The first leg will be a relatively easy trek along the raging Dudh (milk) Kosi River that flows from Mt Everest. We venture to Phakding then Monjo and spend the rest of the day chilling.
Day 3
Monjo to Namche (3454m)
We begin the slow and challenging trek towards Namche Bazarr. The journey takes you through towering suspension bridges and pine forests. If the weather is good, you will get your first glimpse of Mt Everest! We will check into our tea lodges and take it easy for the rest of the afternoon to acclimatise. Your guide can take you to the National Park Visitor Centre, the Sherpa Museum or Sonam Photography to buy and post some beautiful postcards to family and friends.
Day 4
Namche to Khumjung (3790m)
It is a short steep walk to main Sherpa settlement of Khumjung. We will pass an old airfield, admire the Mountain Alps in the open and visit the Everest view Hotel. A hearty lunch awaits us at our accommodation in Khumjung. Afterwards we will visit the Hillary Secondary School where we will set up our eye clinic and take it easy for the rest of the day.
Day 5-6
Eye Testing at Khumjung
If you have the energy, visit the nearby Hillary Memorial Park and catch the sunrise. You will be rewarded with a beautiful view of Ana Dablam. We will spend 2 days performing eye tests for the 350 school children attending the school. Many of them live far away and stay at school during the week.
Day 7
Khumjung to Dhole (4,100m)
We make our way downhill to Phortse Thanga, a nice change from the continous climbing but slowly up again until we arrive at Dhole. Lunch will be harder to finish because of the altitude so take the day easy. Your guide may take you to a slightly higher peak in the afternoon to help the acclimatisation process. After dinner and playing cards, we can go outside to marvel at the incredible sky full of stars
Day 9
Macchermo to Gokyo (4770m)
Today is a strenuous, but rewarding, day of trekking. There’s a narrow staircase trail to a small bridge that takes you to the first of the five lakes at Gokyo. The trail is now flat but the 4700m altitude slows you down. You’ll pass the second lake and eventually the much larger third lake, which is where Gokyo village is located. The Renjo Pass and Gokyo Ri is clearly visible. A 10-minute climb east brings you to a ridge that overlooks the Ngozumpa Glacier – the largest glacier in the world.
Day 8
Dhole to Macchermo (4340m)
We make the slow steady trek up and down the slope towards Macchermo. Along the way are great views of Cho Oyu at 8200m. Once there we will have a chance to attend an informal presentation put up by UK doctors at the medical center about avoiding altitude sickness. We will take on a nearby ridge which offers magnificent views of the surrounding mountain and the path for tomorrow
Day 11
Gokyo to Renjo La Pass to Lungden
If all goes well and our guides think we are fit enough, we begin our journey through the Renjo La Pass early in the morning. This way there'll be plenty of opportunities to rest and take photos of the Everest range. Once we are over the ridge, give yourself a pat as it is all downhill from here. We stay the night in Lungden, a small village with only one lodge.
Day 10
Gokyo to Gokyo Ri (5340m) to Gokyo
We wriggle out of bed at 4am for a summit attempt of Gokyo Ri, a small mountain with fantastic panoramic view of four of the world’s 8000m peaks including Mt Everest. It’s a slow painful process but the view and the sunrise makes it all worth it. We then head back to our lodge in Gokyo for brunch or lunch. Depending on the energy and health of our trekkers, we may attempt the Renjo La Pass the next day to reach the village of Thame or may head back to Khumjung via Luza.
Day 12-13
Lungden to Thame, Eye Testing in Thame
It’s a 3 hour walk to Thame – the gateway to Tibet. We spend the afternoon setting up our clinic at the Health Post and start eye testing the next day.
Day 14
Thame to Monjo
Today is our final day in the mountains. Wave goodbye to Everest and continue down the valley. After the river bank, we walk across ‘Nepalese flats’ until we reach the village of Monjo. Take some time to relax in the village.
Day 15
Monjo to Lukla
It is an easy flat walk to Lukla up until the last few kilometres where we have to walk up. Our accommodation is conveniently located next to the airport. The trekking is over and you can finally relax. Have a shower, explore the village and visit the Swiss Hospital located close by. Tonight we have a dinner celebration with our Sherpa friends and reflect back on all our achievements.
Day 16
Fly out of Lukla to Kathmandu
We wake up at 5am and assemble all our packed bags at the lobby then wait in the dining room with coffee or tea and toast for our flight. It is a quick dash to the airport when our Sherpa guides give us the all clear – it is very chaotic inside the airport but our Sherpa friends make it easy.
After touching down in Kathmandu, we return to our hotel hoping to catch breakfast. We spend the day resting and exploring Kathmandu. A Cultural Dinner Program (beverages are not included) await us in the evening.
Day 17
Explore Kathmandu - Cooking Class & Boudhanath Stupa Tour
This is normally a buffer day in case we get delayed by bad weather. After breakfast, we visit a local family run restaurant and learn to make either 'Dhal Bhat' or Momo. This is followed by lunch and a guided tour of the Boudhanath Stupa where we will meet a singing bowl master for some relaxing sound therapy. We have our last dinner together as a team.
Day 18
Last day in Kathmandu
We pack our bags and get ready to go home or on to our next big adventure. There maybe time to visit the Dubar Square or the Garden of Dreams. We hope to see you again and thank you for being a part of Eyes4Everest!