Trip Details

  • Destination: Nepal
  • Trip Difficulty: Very Strenuous
  • Trip Style: Camping Trek
  • Transport: Public Vehicle & Flight
  • Food: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Lodge & Camping
  • Group Size: 2-16
  • Max Elevation: Sherpani Col Pass (6135m)

Highlights

  • The three high passes: Sherpani Col, West Col, and Amphu Lapcha Pass.
  • Small and quaint villages at several places on the trek.
  • Makalu Barun National Park.
  • Makalu Base Camp.
  • Different glaciers.
  • Arun river valley.
  • Namche Bazar, capital of Khumbu region.
  • Short thrilling flight from Lukla to Kathmandu.

Description

You walk for several days, and you find yourself far away from where you were. In a beautiful world where the only noises are sound of birds, splashing rivers, and cascading waterfalls. How would it feel like?
 
If you want to experience something like this, try out the Sherpani Col pass trek. Walking through the rugged trails and through quaint villages feels terrific! The main motive of Makalu Sherpani Col pass trek is to reach the base camp of Mt. Makalu. Makalu is the fifth highest peak in the world.
 
This trek has three different high passes: Sherpani Col (6150 meters), West Col (6143 meters), and Amphu Labtsa Pass (5800 meters). These passes are among the highest passes in the Nepalese Himalayas. The top of the passes are the best viewpoints. You will see the snowy Himalayas so real and so close. You will see the most spectacular views of Mt. Ama Dablam (6814m), Chonku Peak (6830m), Cho Polu (6734m), Island Peak (6189m), Kang Tega West, and Kang Tega East.
 
Emerging through the lowlands of Khandbari, the trail passes to tranquil highland pastures. We will also walk to the hidden Arun River valley to the kingdom of glaciers at Makalu base camp. After visiting the Makalu base camp, we will make a trip to the Everest region.
 
The Makalu Barun region is also a highlight of Sherpani Col pass trek via Makalu Base Camp. The region is a home of more than 3,000 flowering plant species, 440 bird species, and 75 mammal species.
 
The best time for doing Sherpani Col pass trek is from mid-March to May and from September to Mid-December. During these times, the weather condition remains highly stable. You will have a beautiful time trekking. In winter, the high passes remain covered in snow. Also, there are chances of snowfall, avalanche, and harsh winds. Winter isn’t a good time to trek.
 
Sherpani Col pass is a hard graded remote trek in Nepal. Doing this trek demands a certain level of physical fitness. The passes aren’t easy. They are from the toughest high passes in Nepal. So, this trek is definitely not a good option for beginners. To those who love adventures and have done adventurous high altitudes, Sherpani Col pass trekking should be on their to-do list.
 
Contact us if you want to trek with us. Mount Mania is a popular trekking agency that has been organizing treks and tours around Nepal for many years.

24 Days Sherpani Col Pass Trek Itinerary

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On this day, you can buy your trekking gears, if you have anything left to buy. We will hold a meeting and discussions on the trek. You can stroll around the streets in Kathmandu. If you want, you can visit some historic sights around Kathmandu. Basantapur Durbar Square, Boudhanath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple, etc are some of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu.

  • Altitude: 1320m

We begin our trek with a flight via Kathmandu to Tumlingtar flight. We will board on a domestic flight from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. We will fly for nearly half an hour over the splendid valleys, rivers, and diverse landscapes. After landing at Tumlingtar, we will meet the rest of our team, if any.

The flight duration between Kathmandu to Tumlingtar is 25 to 30 minutes. Tumlingtar is a beautiful city in eastern Nepal. From Tumlingtar, we will take a bus or a jeep to Khadbari. Taking the Khandbari Bharabise road, we will ride towards Khadbari. The bus ride will take us another half an hour.

After reaching Khadbari, we will have lunch and will explore around. Overnight in a hotel in Khadbari.

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse / Lodge
  • Altitude: 1040m

From Khandbari, we will walk through many uphills and downhill towards the village at a place called Mani Bhanjyang. On our way, we will pass across many villages. The small and beautiful valleys are wonderful.

Most of the trail today goes through bamboo and Rhododendron forests. We will walk uphill through scenic trail before reaching Chinchilla. On the way, you will see the cultivated lands, beautiful forests, and large fern plants.

Chinchilla is a beautiful Gurung settlement. It is more like a farm village. From there you will see astounding views of Mt. Makalu, 8463 meters and the Kumbakarna range.

Overnight at Chichila in a tent house.

Trek Duration: 5 to 6 hrs

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Tented Camp
  • Altitude: 1830m

We will have breakfast in our tent kitchen. Then, we will start to trek towards Num. Today, we will walk with admirable views of the Himalayas far away. We will do several ups and downs through quiet forests, serene and scenic. Walking through the forests of Rhododendron, Oaks, and Hemlocks, we will take an ascend. The trail climbs to reach the ridge top.

After an ascend, there is a downhill trail and vice versa. This holds true for most of the trek routes in Nepal. We will enjoy the views from the ridge and will start to descend down. After doing the downhill trail for nearly two hours, we will reach Num. Num is a small village with few houses. Here, you will see a primary school also.

At the campsite in Num, we will set our camps. Overnight there. 

Trek Duration: 5 to 6 hours

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Tented Camp
  • Altitude: 1490m

We will begin to trek after having breakfast. The trail descends steeply over the rocky path to the cornfields of Lumbang. We will trek through the tough trail towards Arun river. Descending around 800 meters, we will meet the Arun river.

While walking down the trail, you should be careful. The paths are slippery. On reaching the bottom, we will cross the Arun river over a suspension bridge. It’s again a tough climb to Runruma. We will have lunch at Runruma. After lunch, we will take a steep to ascend to Seduwa.

Overnight at a camp in Seduwa.

Trek Duration: 5 to 7 hrs

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Tented Camp
  • Altitude: 1460m

Today, we will trek to Tashi Gaon from Seduwa. We will have a short, easy, and pleasant trek today. Walking through the remote villages, tiny and beautiful, we will walk. The trek route passes through scenic surroundings. You can see several farm fields and terraces.

Before reaching Tashi Gaon, there is an uphill trail. It will take you around an hour to do the uphill trail. The trail climbs with splendid views of millet and rice fields.

Finally, we will reach the Tashi Gaun, the last village. From this village, we will enter the Makalu-Barun National Park. Inside the national park boundary, there are no settlements.

We will set our tents at the campsite in Tashi Gaun. Overnight there

Trek Duration: 3 to 4 hrs

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Tented Camp
  • Altitude: 2070m

Today, we will walk into the boundary of Makalu Barun National Park. We will begin the trek by walking into a dense forest of Rhododendron and Oak. After climbing through the forest for around one and a half hours, we will walk out of the forest.

Now, the trail takes us towards the wide summer pastures. There are some stone huts in the grassland. Here, the shepherds stay while they graze their cattle during summer. From here, we will climb the uphill trail towards Kauma ridge. The climb is tough. Along the trail, you’ll see bushes of Juniper and Rhododendron trees.

From Tashi ridge, we will descend a little to the campsite in Kauma. Overnight at Camp.

Trek Duration: 5 to 6 hrs

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Tented Camp
  • Altitude: 3470m

Today is your rest day. On this day, you can explore around Kauma. The place is beautiful with beautiful views of the snowy peaks. You can take good sleep inside your tent. Overnight in Kauma.

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Tented Camp
  • Altitude: 3470m

After a rest day in Kauma, we will make our way towards Mumbuk. With amazing mountain views, we will start to trek. The trail is easy with few ups and downs. We will walk past two ponds: Thulo Pokhari and Sano Pokhari.

We will now walk further to cross Tutu La (4075m). Now the trail descends to a small place inside the woods. The forests of pine, hemlock, birch, and rhododendrons are amazing. Overnight in a tent.

Trek Duration: 5 to 6 hrs

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Tented Camp
  • Altitude: 3570m

From Mumbuk, we will walk to Nehe Kharka today. Exploring the amazing views around us, we will trek. The trail is joyous. The trail passes uphill and downhill, and flat somewhere. We will visit the exotic Barun valley. This is one of the most beautiful valleys. The lush alpine valley is home of several wildlife plant species. The walk is pleasant. The flat uphill trail is enjoyable.

We will follow Barun River upstream and will walk towards Nehe Kharka. There is a summer settlement at this place. AT the campsite, we will set our tents. Overnight in a tent.

Trek Duration: 6 to 7 hrs

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Tented Camp
  • Altitude: 3000m

We will cross the splashing Barun river on a wooden bridge. Now, we will walk through the boulders to Ramara. At Ramara, you will see a large Buddhist prayer wall. From Ramara, we will walk for several hours (2 to 3) to reach Sherson.

On the trail, you will see some Rhododendron and Juniper bushes. As you trek, you will see fewer trees and more rocky cliffs.

After reaching Sherson, we will get amazing views of the Barun glacier, Mt. Makalu, and Mt. Baruntse. Sherson is the lower Makalu base camp. There is a wide pasture with some big rocks. We will set our camp and stay there overnight.

Trek Duration: 6 to 7 hrs

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Tented Camp
  • Altitude: 4615m

Today, we will continue towards the Makalu base camp. From the lower base camp, Sherson, it will take 2 to 3 hours to reach higher base camp. The base camp lies near the Barun glacier’s glacial pond. A base camp is a beautiful place. You will see astounding Himalayan views from here. We will stay there overnight today.

Trek Duration: 2 to 3 hrs

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Tented Camp
  • Altitude: 5000m

There are lots of things to explore around the Makalu base camp. The Barun glacier and its fellow glacial pond are amazing. We will climb to a moraine ridge. This place is a spectacular viewpoint. We can see beautiful views of Mt.Makalu along with the eastern sides of Mt. Everest and Mt. Lhotse. 

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Tented Camp
  • Altitude: 5000m

From Makalu base camp, we will make our way towards the Swiss base camp. Be careful, you are at very high altitude. Also, the trail is rocky and tough. You must take care of your health and body. After reaching the Swiss base camp, we will set our tents for overnight. 

Trek Duration: 2 to 3 hours

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Tented Camp
  • Altitude: 5150m

Making our way towards the west pillar of Makalu. Walking westwards of the Barun glacier, we will climb the trail. We will make our way through tough trails. Though the trail is very hard, it displays the best views of Lhotse and Kangshung face of Everest.

Overnight at high camp in a tent.

Trek Duration: 2 to 3 hours

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Tented Camp
  • Altitude: 5688m

Today is a rest day. You are at a very high altitude. Tomorrow, you will be going in high altitude. So, it is absolutely necessary that you take a rest day. On this rest day, we will walk around to help our body acclimatize with the thinning mountain air. Explore the enthralling views of the Himalayan peaks. Fill your lungs with Himalayan air. We will stay in a tent overnight.

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Tented Camp
  • Altitude: 5688m

And finally, it’s the Sherpani Col Pass (5180m) day. We will start to trek early in the morning. If it gets late, the pass becomes windy. So, we target to reach the top before 10 am. We climb through the iced rocks. The Sherpani Glacier is an amazing one. We will see the glacier spreading its icy fingers. Climbing the pass is very tough. There are difficult slopes where we should use the back-up of the fixed ropes. The top is amazing. Covered with snow and ice with great views of the adorable Himalayas around.

From the Sherpani Col, we will trek to west col. This is a dangerous section. You should be very careful. We will trek through the icy ridges of Baruntse. Also, we will be doing the tough steep trails of Mt. Makalu. Towards the south, there is Chamlang. And to the west, we will see Mt. Amadablam.

You should be very careful. More important, you should follow the instructions of your guides. They will help you get down to West Col safe and sound. They know the safer routes. Now, we will walk to the Hongu glacier. Walking further, we will reach a campsite in Honku Basin where we will stay overnight in our tents.

Trek Duration: 7 to 8 hours

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Tented Camp
  • Altitude: 5500m

So, before heading towards the Everest base camp trekking trail, we will do one more destination today. The journey traverses over Amphu Laptsa follows the upper Hongu Basin towards Panch Pokhari. At Panch Pokhari, there are five ponds. This is a place of religious importance. Yearly, many Hindu devotees visit these ponds for a holy purpose. Trekking through the largest pond, we will walk towards the final pass on this journey, the Amphu Labtsa pass. 

Trek Duration: 5-6 hours

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Tented Camp
  • Altitude: 5527m

Today, we will cross the pass, Amphu Lapcha. The trek is hard, yet rewarding. From the pinnacle, you will see amazing views of Paanch Pokhari and Himalayas. We will see Mt. Lhotse, Lhotse Shar, and Island.

Reaching down the pass is so important. You should get the guidance of your guides. Using ropes and ice axes, we will slowly and safely descend down. 

Now, we will walk through the Imja valley to Chukhung. Chukjung is a small settlement in Everest with very few houses. There are few lodges also. At the campsite there, we will set our tents. Overnight in a tent.

Trek Duration: 8-9 hours

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Tented Camp
  • Altitude: 4730m

Today is your rest day. On this day, you can explore around Chhukhung. The place is beautiful with beautiful views of the snowy peaks. You can take good sleep inside your tent. Overnight in Chhukhung.

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse / Lodge
  • Altitude: 4730m

From Chhukung, we will trek to Tengboche. This day is an easy day. We will do a pleasant walk on the downhill slope as we trek towards Dingboche. The trail is beautiful with amazing mountain views.

Dingboche is a beautiful village. Here, people cultivate potatoes and millets inside fields protected by stone walls. from all sides. This is not a big village, yet, there are around ten teahouses here. At Dingboche, there are chances that you might meet the trekkers to Everest base camp.

We will set off on the trekking trail towards Tengboche. The trail is busy with Everest trekkers trekking up and down the trail. We will also meet herds of Yaks on the way. Walking through the beautiful trail, we will trek back. At a lodge in Solmari, we will have lunch. We will cross a river and will walk towards Pangboche.

From Pangboche, the trail ascends through a dusty trail to Tengboche. AT Tengboche, there is a wide flat meadow with a beautiful monastery and a few teahouses. Tengboche monastery is the biggest monastery in the region. You can see the Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Ama Dablam Himalayas on all sides from there. Overnight in Tengboche.

Trek Duration: 4-5 hours

 

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse / Lodge
  • Altitude: 3860m

Today, we will trek to the Sherpa capital of the Khumbu region. We will descend a steep trail to Pungi Kharka. There is a suspension bridge over Dudh Kosi there. After crossing the bridge, we will start to walk uphill. After the uphill climb ends, the trek is flat.

We will see beautiful Himalayan views while walking. After 2 to 3 hours, we will see the clustered houses in Namche Bazar. We will walk down through stone steps for around 5 minutes. We will stay overnight in a cozy hotel in Namche.

Trek Duration: 4-5 hours

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse / Lodge
  • Altitude: 3440m

Today is a long day and is the last day of trekking. We will descend down the trail from Namche Bazar to Tenzing Hillary bridge. From there, we will take ascend followed by a descend to cross Dudh Kosi river over a suspension bridge again.

After crossing the bridge, the trail is flat. After some time, we will climb the trail to meet a flat trail and cross the same river over a suspension bridge again. Today’s day is popular among the trekkers as “day of crossing suspension bridges”.

At the Sagarmatha National park entry gate, we will check out showing our permits. From there, we will walk through villages like Monjo, Jhorsale, and others. We will have lunch at one of these villages and will walk to Phakding.

From Phakding, the trail is easy. We will finally reach Lukla. Lukla is a small town with hotels, shops, cafes, and an airport. Overnight at a hotel in Lukla.

Trek Duration: 7-8 hours

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse / Lodge
  • Altitude: 2840m

We will check in at the airport in Lukla after having breakfast at the hotel. We will then fly on a domestic plane to Kathmandu airport. Trust me, the take off is nerve-shaking. The flight is thrilling. You will fly so close to the mountains and hills.

You can enjoy amazing views of the Himalayas ahead. Also, you’ll see beautiful valleys, rivers, and deforming landscapes while flying. Finally, we will land at the airport in Kathmandu. We will escort you into your hotel in a private vehicle.

Flight Duration: 25 to 30 minutes 

  • Altitude: 1320m
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What to Expect

Cost Includes

  • Airport Pickup and Drop
  • Camping and Teahouse accommodation during the trek
  • Three meals a day (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner) during the trek
  • Flight Ticket (Kathmandu to Tumlingtar)
  • Local Bus Ticket (Tumlingtar to Khadbari)
  • Flight Ticket (Lukla to Kathmandu)
  • English Speaking Trekking Guide with Insurance, Transportation, Food and Accommodation
  • Porter with Insurance, Transportation, Food, and Accommodation
  • Cooking Staff and Helper 
  • All Camping equipment like Tents and Kitchen equipment
  • All Necessary Trekking Permits (Makalu Conservation Area Permit, Sagarmatha National Park Permit, TIMS Card, Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Fee)
  • Use of sleeping bag & Duffel bag (if you don’t have your own, To be return after trip completed)
  • Daily seasonal fresh fruits after dinner 
  • A first aid kit carried by the guide (Oximeter to measure your oxygen and pulse in high altitude) 
  • All Government and Local taxes

Cost Excludes

  • International Flight Ticket and Nepalese Visa Fee
  • Hotel & Meals in Kathmandu
  • Extra night accommodation in case of early arrival, late departure, and early return from the trek (due to any reason) than the scheduled itinerary
  • Personal expenses (WiFi, Phone calls, Laundry, Bar bills, Battery Recharge, Water, Shower, and Tea / Coffee)
  • Other costs not mentioned in 'Cost Includes' section
  • Travel and Rescue Insurance
  • Tips for Guides, Porters, and Helpers

Before departure to the trip, there will be a group meeting with the trekking guide at the office. He/She will answer all the queries that you have on your mind.

Meeting Location: Mount Mania Treks & Expedition P. Ltd., Samarpan Marg, Banasthali, Kathmandu, Nepal

Note: If you find difficult to come to our meeting location, send us the hotel details via email. Our guide will come to meet up with you individually.