Everest Base Camp & Gokyo Lake D2 Waypoint
23 Apr 2026 33 waypoints 48 photos 9.28 km
D2 Itinerary
Today's one of the tougher early days — lots of climbing, all on stone steps, and you'll be dodging pack trains carrying supplies the whole way. There are quite a few suspension bridges today, with views down into dramatic gorges and rivers, and the scenery keeps opening up, with tall snow peaks gradually appearing in the distance. Following the trail to Waypoint 25 brings you to the EBC entry checkpoint, where you need to register.
You'll also see, at Waypoints 32 and 36, small simple maze-like barriers meant to stop larger animals from passing through. Waypoint 44 has a shop with a toilet downstairs, and next to it at Waypoint 45 there's a tap for drinking water — filter it before drinking.
The endpoint, above 3,400 m, is Namche Bazaar, the biggest mountain town on the early part of the route. It has plenty of local residents, restaurants, bars, barbershops, banks and vendors — hikers who still need to restock gear should strongly consider doing it here. I ate at a burger place here called Eat Smart, where the salad, fries and burgers were all well above average, with set meals mostly under 1,000 rupees. Since you'll pass back through this town on the return, anyone feeling a bit homesick (laughs) can come back here to soothe themselves.
The memorial at the center of this town honors the late, legendary mountaineer Pemba Doma Sherpa, the first Nepali woman to summit Everest from both the north side (Tibet) and the south side (Nepal), breaking the long-standing male dominance of high-altitude mountaineering. Lit up at night, the town's prayer flags and water-powered prayer wheels have a distinct feel — it's worth exploring both by day and by night, since the experience is completely different each time.
As I mentioned already, the best place to buy souvenirs is Caravan Souvenir Shop in Lukla — so even though this town has plenty of souvenirs on offer too, hold off and don't buy on impulse!
Trail Log
15 Recording Resumes
3,411 m2,680↓2 min 160 m ↑12 m
16 Himalayan Sherpa Hospital
3,411 m2,680↓5 min 200 m ↓10 m
17 Bridge
3,411 m2,680↓17 min 610 m ↑24 m ↓22 m
18 Bridge
3,411 m2,680↓17 min 640 m ↑57 m ↓15 m
19 Snow Mountain Photo Stop
3,411 m2,680↓7 min 340 m ↑11 m ↓11 m
20 Bridge
3,411 m2,680↓4 min 80 m ↑13 m ↓13 m
21 Short Break, Restroom
3,411 m2,680↓22 min 10 m
22 Recording Resumes
3,411 m2,680↓13 min 690 m ↑23 m ↓12 m
23 Suspension Bridge
3,411 m2,680↓22 min 900 m ↑62 m
24 Bridge
3,411 m2,680↓23 min 630 m ↑72 m
25 Checking In, EBC EntranceMentioned in text
3,411 m2,680↓5 min 20 m
26 Restroom
3,411 m2,680↓19 min 310 m ↓51 m
28 Suspension Bridge
3,411 m2,680↓7 min 320 m ↓16 m
29 Lunch
3,411 m2,680↓1 h 44 min 50 m
30 Recording Resumes
3,411 m2,680↓5 min 250 m ↑25 m ↓10 m
31 Suspension Bridge
3,411 m2,680↓3 min 90 m
32 Little Maze
3,411 m2,680↓18 min 790 m ↑75 m ↓32 m
33 Crumbling Slope
3,411 m2,680↓7 min 260 m ↑10 m ↓12 m
34 Scenic Rest Spot
3,411 m2,680↓7 min 30 m ↓13 m
35 Recording Resumes
3,411 m2,680↓8 min 210 m ↑69 m
36 Little Maze
3,411 m2,680↓2 min 50 m ↑10 m
37 Suspension Bridge
3,411 m2,680↓2 min 120 m
38 Rest Platform
3,411 m2,680↓14 min 310 m ↑84 m
39 Views of Mount Everest in the Distance
3,411 m2,680↓4 min 90 m ↑18 m
40 Rest Platform
3,411 m2,680↓21 min 420 m ↑117 m
41 Short Break, Restroom
3,411 m2,680↓27 min 20 m
42 Recording Resumes
3,411 m2,680↓38 min 980 m ↑196 m
43 Information Post
3,411 m2,680↓3 min 60 m ↑10 m
44 Small ShopMentioned in text
3,411 m2,680↓15 min 0 m
45 Himalayan Spring WaterMentioned in text
3,411 m2,680↓15 min 20 m
46 Recording Resumes
3,411 m2,680↓9 min 320 m ↑41 m
47 Mule Traffic Jam
3,411 m2,680↓15 min 320 m ↑11 m
48 HOTEL BODHI
3,411 m2,680
End of record16:01 3409 m 9.28 km Hotel Bodhi
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