Everest Base Camp & Gokyo Lake　D10 Waypoint

D10 Itinerary

Today we finally got a break in the weather, and took a helicopter from the helipad at Waypoint 155 near Lobuche to Gokyo Lake. Since the cost had to be split to cover the accompanying guides too, each hiker's helicopter fare came to about 700 USD. On the roughly 5-minute flight, we could see not just the five main lakes including Gokyo Lake, but also the Ngozumpa Glacier that hikers cross on foot — from above, they looked like tiny black dots. After landing, we met hikers who'd crossed the glacier on foot, who said the snow came up to their knees, making every step a struggle. The tour agency estimates about 11 hours on foot for an average person, so weigh the weather and your own ability before deciding whether to walk it.

Under the blue sky and reflecting the surrounding snow peaks, Gokyo Lake shows a still, deep color, drifting somewhere between jade green and deep blue — but without the sickly-sweet, precious quality of Tiffany blue in a shop window. It's more like a textured Nepali blue, settled by years and rock dust. The lake is large; walking slowly around it takes about 2 hours. After 30 minutes circling the lake, the weather turned, and the ice built up along the shore made walking difficult, so we decided to head back for lunch and reassess in the afternoon.

Before lunch, my fellow hikers and I left a giant flag, signed by everyone, next to the clock in the dining room of GOKYO NAMASTE LODGE — if any Taiwanese hikers pass through, it's worth checking whether it's still there.

The weather kept swinging between clear and overcast after lunch, and since we had to leave on foot the next day, the group decided to try for Gokyo Ri, at 5,357 m, first. The trailhead for Gokyo Ri is at Waypoint 164 near the helipad, clearly signposted — you won't miss it. The whole route is laid out in zigzags to make the climb easier. About 15 minutes up the trail, there's a viewpoint at Waypoint 165 with a great view of the town and Gokyo Lake. My fellow hikers and I continued up for about another hour to Waypoint 167, around 5,168 m, but with a misty whiteout, there was no view even after reaching the marker, so we decided to turn back — leaving that bit of unfinished business for next time.

After descending, we came to GOKYO BAKERY CAFE at Waypoint 168, and had coffee and afternoon tea while chatting with the group. The afternoon spent in that café is one of the first moments from this trip that still fills me with calm and joy whenever I think back on it.