A Breathtaking Climb to the Summit of Gokyo Ri in Nepal

This is day 14 of my 24 day trek through the Khumbu region of Nepal -> View all posts for this trek

It was a bitterly cold morning in Gokyo. I awoke at 6am to a softly lighted dawn view of the lake outside my window, the snow dusted mountains reflecting on the calm water. After a quick breakfast in the warm dining room of the teahouse, I braced myself for the cold and began walking out of the village. It looked to be a beautiful clear day and although it was freezing, the walking helped to warm me up a little. At the edge of the village I crossed the stream that feeds all of the lakes in Gokyo and eventually becomes the Dudh Kosi. On the other side of the stream Gokyo Ri rises up immediately, and from here there is nothing but climbing.

The view from my window in Gokyo

At this altitude, climbing is a real killer and I felt ridiculously exhausted within a few minutes of trekking up the steep slope. There was a maze of zigzagging trails that went up but they all led to the same place and none seemed to be much better than the other, so I went where my feet took me. The altitude made it feel like I was wearing lead boots, and taking each step was exhausting. I had to make sure to set a slow and controlled pace, and it became a game of placing one foot in front of the other, something that I knew well from other high altitude climbs I have done. It is a game of the mind as much as it is for the body. If I thought about the whole mountain in general, it seemed impossible, but if I broke it down into smaller pieces, and aimed to get to the next rock or the next turn in the trail, or even just the next step, I knew I was making progress. And if I could keep doing that, then eventually I would be at the top.

I stopped often, not just from the exhaustion, but also because it was worth stopping to look around. As I got higher, the views became even more breathtaking. The village of Gokyo got smaller and smaller as I climbed, and as the sun rose above the mountain the lake took on an incredible shade of blue. Tall ice capped mountains surrounded me and the enormous Ngozumpa Glacier stretched out below.

View of Gokyo Tsho, Gokyo village, Ngozumpa Glacier and Cholatse and Taboche towering above.

A view of Everest on the way up Gokyo Ri

As I gained altitude the air got thinner and thinner and the hiking got harder and harder. There was no break in the climb. It was relentless and grueling and at times it seemed that I was no closer to the top, although I knew that each step took me closer.

In the end I made the summit in just over two hours. A bundle of prayer flags strung across some boulders greeted me as I exhaustively made those last few steps. A couple of other trekkers at the top greeted and congratulated me while I tried to catch my breath. I breathed in deeply a few times to fill my lungs with the cool thin air and then turned around to look out from the summit of Gokyo Ri. Standing at 5360m, a spectacular panorama of massive peaks spread out before me, with the Ngozumpa Glacier and Gokyo lakes below. The village looked like a tiny model from up here.

The view of Gokyo from the summit of Gokyo Ri

My little expedition team at the summit of Gokyo Ri, with Everest and other giants behind us

Trekkers gathered at the summit of Gokyo Ri

After a short rest I got up and explored the rocky summit of Gokyo Ri. I climbed and hopped over rocks and boulders and found a nice quiet spot all to myself, where I laid back and took in the incredible place that I was in. In front of me were some of the highest mountains in the world. I could see Cho Oyu, Makalu, Lhotse and Everest itself, all of them over 8000 metres, plus the “smaller” peaks of Nupste, Cholatse, Taboche and so many more. There was no sound at all apart from the soft breeze blowing up the valley, and although I was so high in altitude, I felt quite warm in the sun. I was simply overwhelmed by the beauty of this incredible place. It was still hard to believe that a place like this could exist, and that I could be there to see it. I was completely at peace at this moment, and it was a moment that will forever be etched in mind.

Looking up the valley to Cho Oyu

These feet have walked a long way, but it was all worth it. Relaxing with a view of the highest mountain in the world.

I spent about an hour at the summit before heading back down the dusty, screelike trail. It was a steep descent but I basically ran down it, filled with confidence and adrenaline from my successful climb. I was back down the bottom of the valley within an hour, where I sat on a rock at the lake’s edge. I made it back to Gokyo in time for lunch, and spent the rest of the day resting up and enjoying this beautiful place. I just felt great, and I was now ready and pumped to tackle the Cho La Pass.