If you have ever tried to call home from Kathmandu, and tried to work out the time of day in your home country, you may well have become befuddled and confused by the timezone in Nepal which is GMT +5.45 (or is it GHT +4.45). Most other countries are on the hour or half hour which is slightly easier to calculate (incidentally this useful tool might help). The answer to why lies on this trek, or specifically, Nepal’s time-zone is set according to the sunrise on Gauri Shankar, the holy mountain that is prominent in the region.

Watching sunrise on Gauri Shankar could be one special moment on this trek:

“From this camp [at Na Gaon] the sunrise (September to November) over Gauri Shankar is one of the  great visual images, as the sun’s rays touch the far peak of Gauri Shankar turning it into a golden crown, while the rest of the mountain is still in its night-time colours of silver grey,” says Les of artphototravel.net.

The trek is diverse in terms of cultures you’ll meet and landscapes. The area is populated by Buddhist Tamang, Sherpa and Gurung communities and you can visit their functioning monasteries along the way. From low, agricultural landscapes, to high mountain scenery, the trek gives you a fabulous slice of Himalayan geography. Finally you get the excitement of crossing over and descending into new valley, with all the satisfaction taking the less easy way brings.

According to the guidebook mentioned below, most visitors to this area who were surveyed in 2003 by Eco Himal, an Austrian NGO, said they visited mainly because it was ‘untouched’ or ‘unspoilt’, and wanting to escape the ‘touristyness’ and ‘overcrowding’ of the three main trekking areas.

This section of the GHT can best be started at The Last Resort, as this gives you much better acclimatization and a chance to develop your trekking legs. You can come from the Everest side, but take an extra day to acclimatize properly in Thame if you do.

Crossing the Tashi Labsta

This is not to be taken lightly. It’s certainly crossable, but precautions need to be taken. Not only is it high at 5,760m, but is glaciated and prone to rockfall. You’ll need ropes, harnesses, crampons and ice-axes and preferably know how to use them all. Most important of all, you’ll have a guide who knows the most recent route. Glacial areas are constantly shifting, and the route can be different season by season.

Trekking time

Les recommends suggested trekking time is 25 days (minimum) composed of 5 days Dolkata to Beding, 2 -3 days Beding and Na Gaon, 5 days up to the high camp near Ramdung base camp exploring and acclimatizing, 4 days to the Tashi Lapsta pass, 4 days exploring, at the pass and climbing Parchamo, 3 days to Namche bazaar, 2 days to Lukla.

For further information and itinerary please contact us