Flight from Adelaide to Kathmandu Arrival in Kathmandu - 1,300m/4,264 ft Kathmandu Sightseeing & Preparation for the Climb.

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1 Day 0 7 April 2012 Flight from Adelaide to Kathmandu Singapore Airlines SQ278. Dep. Adelaide 12:40pm, Arr. Singapore 5:35pm, Airbus A Stops in Singapore for 15 hrs 35 mins SilkAir MI412. Dep. Singapore 9:10am, Arr. Kathmandu 12:05pm, Airbus A /200 Total time from Adelaide to Kathmandu: 28 hrs 10 mins AU$ Day 01 8 April 2012 Arrival in Kathmandu - 1,300m/4,264 ft Upon your arrival in the Kathmandu airport (KTM) you will be greeted by a representative from Himalayan Glacier Trekking (HGT). After completing your custom formalities (Visa, etc) pick up your luggage and look for our representative with a Himalayan Glacier Trekking display board at the arrival gate. You will be then transferred to Hotel Shanker or a similar category hotel. After check in, you will visit HGT office, meet your trekking guide as well as other participants. Later in the evening we will organize a "Welcome Dinner" at an excellent traditional Nepalese Restaurant where you will enjoy a Nepalese cultural program along with a fine meal. Day 02 9 April 2012 Kathmandu Sightseeing & Preparation for the Climb. Today after breakfast we start a guided tour to several of the most historical and spiritual attractions in Kathmandu. The day will also be for finalizing official procedure and other necessary arrangements. You will be also briefed on the nature of expedition, equipments and team composition. Some of these landmarks are considered World Heritage Sites; including the historic Kathmandu Durbar Square, the sacred Hindu temple of Pashupati Nath, the famous 'Monkey Temple' (Swayambunath) and Buddhists shrine (BouddhaNath) which is one of the large Stupas in the world. In the afternoon, there will be a pre-trip discussion where we can meet our trek leader and other team members. You can also make your last minute buying of personal items as you will be flying to the Himalayas tomorrow. Day April 2012 Kathmandu - Lukla - Phakding (2,652m/8,700ft): 3/4 hrs. After breakfast, we get transferred to the domestic terminal of Kathmandu airport for an early morning flight to Lukla (2,800m/9,186ft), a gateway destination from where our trek starts. After an adventurous 40 minute flight above breathtaking green and white mountains, we reach the Tenzing-Hillary Airport at Lukla. This is one of the most beautiful air routes in the world culminating in a dramatic landing on a hillside surrounded by high mountains peaks. Here we meet our other crew members and after some packing and arrangements, we start our trek through the prosperous village of Lukla until we reach Phakding. To assist in acclimatization, we only have a short hike today. However, if interested in additional activities we can take a side trip to a nearby monastery. Day April 2012 Phakding - Namche Bazaar (3440 m/11,280 ft): 5/6 hrs Walking through a beautiful pine forest, the track leads us along the Dudh Koshi River through many suspension bridges, one of which is the famous Hillary Suspension Bridge. First, we catch wonderful prospect of the glistening Mt. Thamserku (6618 m). Through the settlement of Benkar, Chumoa, Monjo, we come to the check post and entrance to Sagarmatha National Park. We pass through the last village of Jorsale before reaching Namche Bazaar. The trail climbs through the forests and bridges until we reach the confluence of the Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi rivers. After a final steep ascent of about two hours we get first sight of Mt. Everest peering over the Lhotse-Nuptse ridge. We stop at Chautara to admire the view. We still need to hike about 1.5 hours to reach Namche Bazaar, a gateway to Mt. Everest and main trading centre of this region.

2 Day April 2012 Acclimatization Day - Namche Bazaar This is the scheduled 'acclimatization' day for this trek. Health experts always recommend us to stay active and moving during the rest day too instead of being idle. We either spend the day taking a day hike to Thame or visiting Khunde or relaxing and exploring Namche Bazaar itself. Namche Bazzar is the main centre of the Everest (Khumbu) region and has government offices, ATMs, Internet cafes, shops, restaurants, a bakery and a colorful market each Friday evening and Saturday. If we trek a few hundred vertical feet during the day, it will help us to properly acclimatize. Our guides will take us to the Tourist Visitor Center near the headquarter of the Sagarmatha National Park where we can observe an assortment of things related to the first Everest ascenders, Sherpa culture and learn about the various plant and animal life of the Everest region. If interested, you can also take a side trip up to Khumjung. We climb up to the famous airstrip at Syangboche. Just above the airstrip is the Everest View Hotel, a Japanese scheme to build a deluxe hotel with great views of the highest mountains on Earth. The Khumjung valley is surrounded by the snowy peaks of Kongde and Thamserku and the scared peak Khumbila, hosts a well known monastery that houses a yeti scalp. We also visit Hillary School which is at the same site. After having lunch and spending some time in Khumjung, we walk back down to Namche Bazzar. Day April 2012 Namche Bazzar to Tengboche (3,870m/12,694ft): 5/6 hrs walk After breakfast in Namche, we start our trek towards Tengboche enjoying superb view of Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam and close up view of Thamserku. Our trek follows on the gradual trail with few ups and downs overlooking magnificent view of the great Himalaya. Along the way we can spot wild lives like pheasant, musk deer, or a herd of Himalayan Thar. The trail goes gradually down up to Kayangjuma. The path eventually reaches Sansa which is the major trail junction to Gokyo valley and Everest Base Camp. The track then follows through the pine forests and after we cross the prayer flags festooned bridge over Dudh Koshi River, we reach Phunki Thenga, a small settlement with a couple of teahouses and a small army post amidst the alpine woods. After having a relaxed lunch at Phunki Thenga we then have a little tough climb steep up through the pine forests while before we reach Tengboche. Tengboche is a great place for close up views of Ama-Dablam, Nuptse, and Everest and it has a biggest Buddhist Monastery all over in Khumbu region. We visit the monastery the same day at around 3 p.m. to witness the ceremony in the principal and popular monastery of Everest region. Day April 2012 Tengboche to Dingboche (4,360 m/14,300 ft): 5/6 hrs Mountains as a backdrop, the monastery in Tengboche looks spectacular more in the morning. We snap pictures of the monastery and the sceneries around and as usual start the day journey. We choose the upper trail for better views to visit Pangboche village and its ancient Monastery. We pass through several Chortens and Mani walls and small villages. We enjoy lunch with fantastic close-up views of Ama-Dablam. In the afternoon, go north to Pheriche or take the eastward trail beneath the towering north face of Ama Dablam. From here onwards the walk is fairly moderate as we enter the Imja Valley. The valley ahead will begin to open up as we approach the confluence of the Lobuche River, we descend into the river and begin the last and steepest climb of the day up to Dingboche On arrival in Dingboche, we enjoy the beautiful array of fields enclosed by stone walls to protect the barley, buckwheat and potatoes from the cold winds and grazing animals.

3 Day April 2012 Dingboche - Lobuche (4940 m/16,207 ft): 5/ 6 hours We start the day with a climb to Duglha through the Khumbu Khola valley. The trek along the arid terrace is awarding with awesome views of mountains on all sides. As we come to a yak herder's place called Dusa, the valley begins to narrow and we continue through Phulung Karpo, of the camp sites during first successful Everest Expedition in After crossing a small wooden bridge, we ascend to Dughla. Beyond Duglha we trek up the steep terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. We find our way through the boulder-strewn slope as we ascend Chupki Lhara, an eerie ridge top with dramatic mountains views. At the top of the ridge we will find an array of stones with prayer flags used as memorials to Scott Fischer (American mountaineer) and 10 times Everest summitter Babu Chiri Sherpa (mountain guide from Nepal) who perished on a mission to climb Everest. As we trek along a murmuring stream we do not see the Khumbu glacier because of its lateral moraine wall and we now begin to feel a little out of breath due to high altitude. Day April 2012 Lobuche - Gorak Shep (5170 m/16,961ft) - Everest Base Camp (5364 m/17,594 ft) - Gorak Shep: 7/8 hrs The trail to Gorak Shep goes ahead through the lateral moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. We pass though the pyramid sign post. Ahead on the trail we see crest of north ridge of Everest along with Mt. Pumori, Mahalangur, Lingtern, Khumbutse, Nuptse, etc. A small ascent would take us to Thangma Riju from where we perceive 360 degree vista of snowy mountains. Climbing steeply up to the top through the torrent of Changri glacier, we catch our first glimpse of Kala Patthar, a grey-green knoll beneath the Mt. Pumori. As we reach Gorak Shep, we will be surrounded by snow-capped mountains looming all around us including the top of the world - Mount Everest. After a brief lunch and rest, we take the trail to Everest Base Camp through the once vast Gorak Shep Lake. As we reach Everest Base Camp we cannot stop ourselves from appreciating the Everest climbers those take the hazardous route through the Khumbu icefall. Nuptse, Khumbuste and Pumori are the mountains we can view from base camp. Everest actually is not visible from here. We get back to Gorak Shep for a good night's rest. However, the sunset view from Kala Patthar is more admirable than the sunrise view. As the setting sun's rays strike the snow capped mountains the resulting scenery is indescribable. For those trekkers who wish to continue our guides and Sherpas coordinate a hike to Kala Patthar for amazing sunset view today rather than waiting until the next day. Day April 2012 Ice Climbing Training (date and stage of trip to be confirmed) Day April 2012 Gorak Shep - Kala Patthar (5545 m/18,192 ft) - Lobuche (4940 m/16,207 ft): 5/6 hrs Today is the climax of our trip. We start early in the morning to catch the dramatic views from Kala Patthar witnessing the first light of day shining on Mount Everest. However, we need to get prepared for an early morning, dark and cold temperature (-10 to -14 C) departure beforehand. Plus there is always the potential for chilly winds which are quite common. Familiar peaks such as Lingtren, Khumbutse, Changtse tower to the east even as Everest begins to reveal itself emerging between the west shoulder crest and Nuptse. During the ascent to Kala Patthar we can pause to catch our breath at several outstanding view points to snap pictures. After several hours of an ascent, we reach Kala Patthar. From here we scramble to climb the rocky outcrop near to the summit marked by cairns and prayer flags. As we reach the top, we sit on the Kala Patthar rocks our eyes taking in the unbelievable Himalayan Panorama, wandering from one mighty massif to another. We take as many pictures as we can with our camera and take the in view with our mind's eye to last lifetime. On being back to Gorak Shep, we have breakfast followed by a gradual descend down to Lobuche for a good night's rest.

4 Day April 2012 Lobuche to Lobuche Base Camp (4865m/15,957 ft): 2 hrs Today, we begin our trek from Lobuche toward the Lobuche Base Camp. After walking some distance on relatively flatter plane, the path to the Lobuche Base Camp gets steeper and rocky. Since, we will be trekking toward somewhat lower altitude today, you may it find it easier for your body. Move forward along the Lobuche Glacier, while enjoying the great views of Ama Dablam, Cholatse, Pokalde, Thamserku, Kantega, etc. Pre-Climb Training: After reaching the Lobuche Base Camp, take rest for some time and make necessary preparation for the summit. After lunch, our guides will provide training on peak climbing techniques and using climbing gears such as ice axe, climbing boot, harness, jummer, and how to go up and down using ropes. We believe that some training experience will boost up your confidence and climbing skills thus increasing the chances of scaling the summit as well as fully enjoy the experience. Day April 2012 Lobuche Base Camp to Lobuche High Camp (5,600m/18,368 ft): 3/4 hrs Today, after breakfast we make a hike from Lobuche Base Camp to the Lobuche High Camp. The climb takes for about 4 hours. The High camp is located at 5,600m/18,368 ft. From Base Camp, we hike on a rocky moraine path to reach the high camp. Upon reaching the high camp, we set up our camp, take lunch and rest. You can also walk around for some time that would also help in acclimatization. Day April 2012 Summit Day: Lobuche Peak (6119m/20,070 ft) Summit & back to High Camp: 7/9 hrs Today is our cherished day for the summit. We start early in the morning for the summit endeavour. Lobuche east offers more panoramic views of the mountains that other popular peaks such as Island Peak. Once upon the Lobuche summit, you would enjoy magnifiscently panoramic views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Cholatse, Pumori, and many more. We spend some time at the summit celebrating and taking pictures, then we get back to the High Camp again. Day April 2012 Ice Climbing Training (date and stage of trip to be confirmed) Day April 2012 Reserve Day for Contingency There is no such guarantee that we can get quite a favorable weather on our planned day for the summit, so this day is used as a contingency in case if we are unable to summit the Lobuche Peak on day 13 due to bad weather condition or some other reasons. If weather gets exceptionally unfavorable we wisely have to postpone the program of summit the peak on day 13 for toady (Day 14). Sometimes somebody in the group may get some problems in acclimatizing well enough to make the ascent; the day can be used in that condition too. If the trip goes smoothly, we do not need this spare day. Day April 2012 Lobuche High Camp - Chhukung (4,730m/15,518ft): 6/7 hours Today, we head for Island Peak. After breakfast, we retrace our steps to Dughla. Then we etner the Imja Khola valley at the beautiful village of Dingboche (4350 m/14,268 ft). About three more hours of trek finally bring us to Chukung which is the last settlement of the valley. You will also notice small group of nomadic huts strategically located at the foot of the Imja glaciers. Chukung is the point of departure of Island Peak base camp which also offers great views of Lhotse, Nuptse and Ama Dablam. Note: If interested you may also undertake the Kongma La pass route from Lobuche. Trekking via Khumbu Glacier to Kongma La Base Camp (5,000m/16,404ft) continues ascending the Kongma La pass before descending to Bibre of Imja Khola valley from where we continue to Chhukung. Day April 2012 Chhukung - Island Peak Base camp (5,200m/17,060ft): 3/4 hours The path from Chhukung leads fairly steep way climbing south then turning east to the main line of the valley. It then winds along or below the southern flank of the moraine from the Lhotse Glacier. Continue short pleasant walking along a streamside. The route to the Amphu Lapcha lies to the southeast. A criss-cross route through the Imja and Lhotse glacier moraines leads to a wide valley flanking the SW side of Island peak. Island Peak is less technical than Lobuche, still after lunch, you may also consider practicing the peak climbing techniques and using climbing gears such as ice axe, climbing boot, harness, jummer, and how to go up and down using ropes.

5 Day April 2012 Island Peak Base Camp to High Camp (5,600m/18,372ft): 2/3 hours We move to Island Peak High Camp. The path leads up beyond base camp for several hundred meters before striking off left up the steep hillside. Initially sandy, the path soon turns to grass before becoming boulder strewn. As we climb the hill, we will see that the slope narrows and the path enter a steep rock channel. Generally, we take lunch after completing the day's hike. In case, you find it annoying to stay at a higher altitude of the High Camp for a long time which might cause altitude problems, you may also get back to base camp and attempt the final summit push directly from the base camp. It would be also easier for the organizers and the porters to stay at the Base Camp. Day April 2012 High camp to summit to Base camp to Chhukung: 8/10 hours Island Peak Ascent (6,189m/20,305ft): We begin our climb early in the morning, generally around 1 AM. In the beginning, climb the rock gully. This is not difficult but there are several short rock steps to climb before we emerge on the right side of the gully. The route then follows a ridgeline, which leads to an exhilarating and exposed traverse onto the snout of the summit glacier. We need to rope up for the glacier as it contains several crevasses. The guides will fix a rope wherever necessary. A steep snow slope leads us onto the summit ridge. After enjoying the summit views, celebrations, and taking pictures, we descend all the way to Chhukung for overnight. Day April 2012 Reserve Day for Contingency Just like in the case of Lobuche East Climb, we keep one day for contingency to use this day in case we are unable to summit the Island Peak on day 18 due to bad weather condition or some other reasons. If weather gets exceptionally unfavorable we wisely have to postpone the program of summiting the peak on day 18 for toady (Day 19). Sometimes somebody in the group may get some problems in acclimatizing well enough to make the ascent; the day can be used in that condition too. If the trip goes smoothly, we do not need this spare day. Day April 2012 Chhukung to Namche Bazar: 8/9 hrs This is a long trekking day. The Imja Khola joins the Dudh Koshi River a little above the Pangoche village. There is a famous gompa at Pangboche believed to have been the oldest in the Khumbu region. Descend out of the alpine dessert and back into landscapes of pine forests. The path leads to a steep uphill climb into Tengboche. Visit the Tengboche Monastery. Making a steep descent leads back to the Dudh Kosi river. The final steep climb traverses the hill side into Namche Bazaar. In case our contingency day remains unused and you want take today's trekking in a relaxed manner, we can divide today's long trekking into two days. Day April 2012 Namche Bazaar to Lukla: 6/7 hrs The trail descends steeply downward so we need to walk slowly and under control as our shaky legs continuously battle the rocky terrain. After crossing the suspension bridges over the fast flowing Dudh Koshi and its tributaries the trail becomes more level and natural. Although we are travelling the same route down, we feel completely different views. Walk through the Sherpa villages' noticing impressive faith in Buddhism and culture of prayer stones and prayers flag while we walk through the villages. On arrival at Lukla, we stretch those sore legs and recall the experiences of the last couple of weeks. We experience the culmination of a fantastic trek on a happy note with everyone back safe and sound with smile on their faces! Day 24 1 May 2012 Fly back to Kathmandu We fly back to Kathmandu after our long mountain journey. The early morning flight drops us at Kathmandu. You can rest and relax throughout the day in your hotel. If get interested to take some gifts home from Nepal for friends and relatives, visit some nearby shops or venture out in Thamel for typical Nepalese goods which can be assisted by our guides or you can do it yourself too. If you want to explore any other areas of Kathmandu take the time to do that today! Remember, we will be hosting a fantastic celebration dinner together for successfully completing the adventure.

6 Day 25 2 May 2012 Kathmandu Day 26 3 May 2012 Rafting The Bhote Kosi river is a very steep and very continuous mountain stream; a unique combination of exceptionally fun and challenging rapids without it ever getting past the point of recreation. The thundering of the next rapid is never far downstream and only occasional pools of calm give a chance to reflect on the awesome beauty surrounding the river. Emerald green fields are terraced high above the river on precipitous slopes, curious villagers lining suspension bridges are amazed as we plunge through cascading waves and chutes of foam. Day 27 4 May 2012 Canyoning The first day of canyoning is very close to the resort. We start with an instruction on abseiling and teach you how to abseil by yourself on the first waterfall. You gain confidence as you go through the next waterfalls and by the time you reach the 45 meter longest run you will be running down it in no time. Day 28 5 May 2012 Pete s Birthday Bungy Imagine a bridge over a 160m high tropical gorge, with the Bhote Kosi, one of Nepal s wildest rivers, raging below... Now jump! Day 29 6 May 2012 Kathmandu Day 30 7 May 2012 Flight from Adelaide to Kathmandu You are saying good bye to the mountains of Nepal as your journey in Nepal comes to an end today. There is nothing to do but trade s with your travel companions and organize your photos. If you have more time you can do some shopping or sightseeing. Approximately 3 hours before your scheduled flight, a representative from Himalayan Glacier Trekking drop you to the airport and say good bye. On your way home you'll have plenty of time to plan your next adventure in the wonderful country of Nepal. Singapore Airlines SQ5311 operated by SilkAir. Dep. Kathmandu 1:05pm, Arr. Singapore 8:15pm, Airbus A /200 Stops in Singapore for 3 hrs 35 mins Singapore Airlines SQ279. Dep. Singapore 11:50pm, Arr. Adelaide 9:10am, Airbus A Total time from Kathmandu to Adelaide: 15 hrs 20 mins AU$ You are advised to consider the following equipment as essentials while packing for the Island peak and Lobuche East Climbing Trip. Please use this list as a guideline. Adjustments to the list can be done according to your needs, interests, duration of your trip, season of your trip, etc. You can find variety of gear to hire or buy in Kathmandu. Majority of the gear on sale in Kathmandu is locally manufactured (hence a lot cheaper) and some gear found here is imported from China and is obviously of better quality. You can find very high quality branded gears too in some famous stores here. The gear in the list below with an asterisk (*) is also provided by Himalayan Glacier Trekking included in the service but if you are choosy or want to use your own private piece, we encourage you to bring your own. Much of the personal climbing gear can be hired in the base camp, however the quality of equipment at base camp can be not as high as those found in Kathmandu to hire.

7 CLIMBING GEAR HGT to On hand Packed provide Personal Climbing Gear Ice Screw (each individual need ice screw for Kyajo Ri) Ice axe Crampons Harness Tape Slings (2) Screwgate Carabiners (2 lock, 2 unlock) Descender/Abseil Device Plastic Mountaineering Boots Ascender (jumar) Helmet (optional) Group Climbing Gear Rope Ice Hammer Snow bar Clothing Sun hat or scarf Light balaclava or warm fleece hat Sunglasses with UV protection Underwear Hiking shorts Lightweight cotton long pants Light and expedition weight thermal bottoms Fleece or wool pants Waterproof (preferably breathable fabric) shell pants Thin, lightweight inner socks Thick, warm wool hiking socks Hiking boots with spare laces Camp shoes (sneakers and/or sandals) Gaiters for hiking in winter to the base camp Gaiters T-shirts Light and expedition weight thermal tops Fleece jacket or pullover Fleece Wind-Stopper jacket (optional)

8 Waterproof (preferably breathable fabric) shell jacket Down vest and/or jacket Lightweight gloves Heavyweight gloves or mittens with a waterproof shell outer (seasonal) Sleeping bag rated to -15 to -20 degree centigrade Headlamp (e.g. Petzl Zoom) with spare bulbs and batteries Small pad or combination lock-to-lock Trekking Bags/Duffel bag Basic First Aid Kit Large plastic bags - for keeping items dry inside trek bag Daypack (approximately 2500 to 3000 cubic inches) Trekking Poles Water bottle (2) or camelbak Toiletries (Small wash towel, Toilet papers etc) Ear Plug medium sized quick drying towel Tooth brush/paste (preferably biodegradable) Multipurpose soap (preferably biodegradable) Deodorants Nail clippers Face and body moisturizer Anti bacterial hands wash Wet wipes (baby wipes) Binoculars Reading book Trail Map/Guide book Journal & Pen Pencils and small notebooks ipod