Island Peak & Everest Base Camp

Island Peak, or Imja Tse as it is known locally, stands at 6189m and is given its name due to the sea of glaciers that surround it near the head of the Chukkung Valley in Nepal. It is flanked by some of the most formidable mountains in the Himalaya, including Nuptse, Lhotse, Lhotse Middle Peak and Lhotse Shar (of which Island Peak is actually an extension of the south ridge), all of which stand over 7800m. On summiting Island Peak, the aforementioned mountains lie in horse shoe to the north, providing some of the most amazing views in this region.

This trip also visits Everest Base Camp, which is a must for those mountaineers who want to visit the point from which Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay set off to make the first ascent of Everest, back in 1953. This trip is run alongside the Everest Base camp (EBC) trip - those going on to attempt Island Peak will split from the group on the descent from EBC.

An attempted ascent of Island Peak is suitable for people who have previously completed an Alpine 4000m PD route, (eg an ascent of Mt Blanc or similar mountain) with snow arrete exposure. If you have Scottish winter climbing experience and would like to attempt Island Peak, then please contact us to discuss the level of difficulty and possible preparation trips. For the most part, the approach route involves steady trekking, but there are some climbing sections on the summit day of Island Peak. Overall, the most obvious physical obstacle is the effect of such a high altitude, so you should be suitably fit and prepared for the challenge.

• 20 day trip on arrival in Nepal, including 18 days guiding by experienced trekking leaders.
  
• We'll pick you up from and drop you off at Kathmandu Airport.
  
• Porter assistance for the entire route.
  
• We run this trip during October - November and April - May
  
• Set open dates or bespoke courses for individuals to larger groups - just ask if the date you want is not listed.
  
• Many years experience in providing these courses.
  
• You need to have a good level of fitness and be prepared for 'lodge-living' whilst on trek.

We normally run this trip over a 3 week period starting on a Saturday, however if you would like to do this at any other time then please contact us.

We will meet you when you arrive at Kathmandu Airport and then transfer you to your hotel. At this time they will go through the planned route and carry out an equipment check to ensure you have everything you need to enable you to enjoy the trip.

Your trek starts a day later with a flight to Lukla.

A typical day on the trek starts with a wake up call at about 6am depending upon what your activity will be for the day. Breakfast at 6:30 or 7:00 followed by trekking start at 7:30am. You can stop for tea during the morning and probably break for lunch at about 11:30 or 12:00. If you need to walk in the afternoon, then you will generally be at your day's destination by about 3 or 4pm. Evening meal will be served at about 6:00 or 6:30 before an early bed time. Of course these times are flexible but the rhythm is dictated by daylight and you will need a lot of sleep!

A typical itinerary may look like this:

Please note: This itinerary is a guide only. It can be subject to change dependent upon viability, course members' fitness and weather conditions or for any other reason the guide may deem necessary.

This trip involves travel to high altitudes and to areas where a short notice change of itinerary may be necessary. In particular the flight from Kathmandu - Lukla and return can suffer from weather related delays.

This trek visits high altitudes! You will be spending at least eight or nine nights at or above 4000m which is serious altitude. It is imperative you are properly acclimatised, not only to have a safe trek, but also an enjoyable one as altitude sickness has the capacity to make you feel very miserable!

All along the way you will find warnings about ascending too quickly. If you show signs of altitude sickness, appropriate measures (i.e. descent) must be taken. Inform yourself as much as possible about this issue before you go so that you have an understanding of how it can affect you.

Keep your guide informed regarding how you are feeling during the trek.

Our scheduled departures are lead by one of our UK/western mountain leaders. He/she is supported by our Nepali guides. Their responsibility is to ensure your safety on the trip, select the lodge accommodation and organise the porter crew. You will be amazed how much easier having a local guide makes the dealings with lodges, etc. Evening meals and drinks miraculously appear and you have many less chores during the day. You will miss him when you are back in the UK!

Your guides will travel with you from Kathmandu to Lukla to simplify the domestic air travel. Should you wish to travel outside the dates of our scheduled departures, then we can provide you with a bespoke trip on dates of your request with either UK and Nepalese leaders or just local guides. Please contact us should you want this.

The accommodation is in ensuite, twin rooms in a Kathmandu hotel, trekking lodges and camping on the trek.

The lodges we use on trek are of the higher standard. These are obviously more basic than the accommodation in Kathmandu but the better ones on the trek. The rooms are singles, doubles or triples shared as part of the group, there are hot showers (water has to be heated in advance), toilets (sometimes flushable) and they are fully catered. Many have electricity 24hrs. The general rule is: the higher you go, the more rudimentary they become. This is understandable.

All British nationals require a visa for entry into Nepal. You need to arrange these prior to departure with the relevant embassy. If you are not a British national then you will also need to contact the embassy to enquire about visa requirements. It is more than likely you will need one.

The Nepalese embassy in the UK can be contacted under:

Royal Nepalese Embassy
12a Kensington Palace Gardens
London W84QU
Tel: +44 (0)207 229 1594 or +44 (0)207 229 6231
Fax: +44 (0)207 792 9861
e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
web: www.nepembassy.org.uk

Please submit your application, together with the requisite fee within the specified timescales to the embassy. Remember to send your passport registered post! You will need the following:

For medical and inoculations advice, contact your GP before you travel. Do this in good time (at least 3 months) as many injections/treatments must be given a certain time apart.

You will need to be experienced in using crampons and ice axes. Participants should have made at least one 4000m Alpine ascent, for example Mt Blanc by the Gouter route and have experienced snow arrete exposures.  If you have climbed Scottish Grade winter routes and would like to attempt Island Peak, then please get in touch with Maximum Adventure to have discuss the experience and preparation needed for the trip.

You will need to be physically fit and prepared for 'lodge-living' whilst on trek. An often used phrase in Nepal is 'Nepali flat'. Your guide will surely say this to you a few times. This means the trail is about to 'undulate' quite considerably. Distances are not measured in conventional metres, km or even miles on the trails in Nepal, but in walking times. This is because the trails go uphill or downhill but seemingly never flat. Therefore it is best to arrive in Nepal suitably conditioned, and if you have not done so already then start to get fit. Visit your local gym or go for a bike ride. If you arrive there suitably conditioned then you will enjoy the trip so much more.

For the trek part of the trip, you should be able to walk for 4 to 6 hrs in a day on undulating terrain (i.e. going up and down hill) and not feel exhausted! There are also a few steep hills to negotiate (takes about 2hrs) and so you should be ready for these.

For the days on Island peak you should be prepared for 12-14hr days with steep ascent and subsequent descent. This is at high altitude (6000m+), so you need to have a good level of fitness.

We strongly recommend that you follow a fitness plan in preparation for your challenge, an example of one will be sent to you when you have confirmed your booking.

Although the fitness plan we will send to you has been devised by a fitness professional, this is only provided as a guide and you should seek professional advice before starting your own fitness regime.

Weather conditions permit us to run this course anytime during October and November and April and May.

Our scheduled departures are staffed by our UK mountain leaders and supported by local guides and porters. In our opinion this provides you with greater safety when higher up in remote areas. We can also run bespoke trips for you on dates of your choosing guided just by our local guides.

This trip is available for individuals and groups; however we can be very flexible and arrange dates around you.

Please contact us for available dates.

All requested dates are unconfirmed until minimum numbers have been booked.

If you have a group of 10 or more people we will be happy to run an exclusive trip for yourselves.

• Professional event organisation.

• Experienced trekking leaders

• Arrival and departure transport from Kathmandu Airport.

• Twin room with breakfast in comfortable hotel accommodation in Kathmandu. Single rooms are available at a supplement.

• Half board accommodation in mountain lodges.

• Porter assistance for the duration of the trek.

• Group first aid kit with qualified first aiders.

2011 price - £1995pp

For 2012 trips, 2011 prices will apply if booked before 2012 prices are released.

There is an additional charge for the internal flight from Kathmandu - Lukla return. This is in the region of US$250pp and is paid locally.

The Nepalese Rupee is the local currency. You can exchange pounds, dollars and travelers cheques at the airport and at exchange stores throughout Kathmandu. There are also ATMs in Kathmandu of which our experience has been satisfactory. In the hotel in Kathmandu you will be able to pay your extras by credit card. Shops and other restaurants in Kathmandu accept rupees.

Once you have left Kathmandu you will only be able to change money in Lukla and Namche Bazaar on your trek. When exchanging money remember to take an official exchange receipt. Once on the trek, low denomination rupee notes are necessary. It is best to split the cash you carry. Store the larger part of your cash in your day sack and carry a small quantity for easy access on you. This way you don't look like a walking bank to the locals when you pull out a big wad of notes to pay for a postcard.

Your extras (drinks/lunch/evening meal etc.) in Kathmandu should amount to no more than £20/day and on the trek to £5/day as your trek is fully catered. This obviously does not take account of international phone calls, laundry, gifts etc. Our advice is to take some cash with you for changing but also to take a more secure way of carrying your money. Travellers cheques etc. Ask you bank or foreign exchange bureau to advise you on this.

The days of zero crime in Nepal are gone, however Nepal still has a very non-aggressive society, especially towards foreigners. None the less, exercise the usual common sense precautions to avoid becoming a victim of crime. Don't flash your valuables (camera, watch, money etc.) around, and don't act ostentatiously!

There has been a longstanding internal conflict in Nepal between political parties which involved armed conflict. A peace agreement for this was signed in 2006. For an official British Government view on this issue please visit the foreign office website www.fco.gov.uk and then the 'Know before you go' section.

The climate during your trip will vary between warm in Kathmandu (20-30C), to relatively warm on the lower trekking trails (15-25C daytime) to cold at the higher elevations (0-5C daytime). Night-time temperatures at Gorak Shep and Base Camp can be as low as -15C during the trekking season with snow. Generally it should be dry, but this cannot always be relied upon and expect wind. Budget for very low temperatures on Island Peak. You need to have winter mountaineering kit for this ascent.