Lhakpa Ri

Overview

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The world's most climbable 7,000m peak

Introduction

Lhakpa Ri is probably the most attainable 7,000m peak in the world, located in an amazing situation opposite the North Face of Everest. The approach is via the Tibetan Plateau to the Rongbuk Monastery and Base Camp on the North side of Everest. You then trek up the historic East Rongbuk Glacier following the 'Magic Highway' to Advance Base Camp (6,350m) below the North Col. The climb itself is across easy-angled glacier then snow slopes which lead to the north ridge and summit. The ground is moderate, so the climb is feasible for those with previous snow and ice climbing experience, who have also trekked at altitudes in excess of 5,000m before. There is also the option to climb to the North Col (7,000m) on Everest as part of this expedition and to visit the historical city of Lhasa at the end of the trip.

Overall, this expedition has the feel of a tough trek at altitude, culminating in a one-day ascent of a straightforward albeit it very high peak. The North Col climb is more technical than Lhakpa Ri, being much steeper. As such, the North Col Extension is graded '3B', compared to Lhakpa Ri, which is '2B'. The expedition duration is the same. There is an additional cost for climbing to the North Col.

Join us on Lhakpa Ri

• The most attainable 7,000m peak on the planet
• A carefully designed itinerary with four acclimatisation days in Everest Base Camp
• Optional climb to the North Col of Everest
• Visit Lhasa
• Prices include all permits

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Tailor-made option

We can organise this expedition on a ‘tailor-made’ private basis for groups of friends, families, clubs, charities or any other group. Depending on your mountaineering experience, you may want a Jagged Globe leader or go ‘self-led’ with the assistance of local guides. The cost of going private can be surprisingly reasonable, particularly if you take the self-led option. Please contact us to discuss the itinerary and your preferred dates. We will then send you a quote, with no obligation.

Experience Required

Remote trekking or mountaineering experience to 5,000 metres is required, plus snow and ice climbing experience and competence in abseiling/rappelling. The summit ridge of Lhakpa Ri is exposed and requires confident crampon technique.
Our Scottish Winter Courses and our Alpine Courses provide good skills preparation and would provide an ideal build-up to this expedition.

Additional Information

If you wish to discuss any aspect of the expedition or your suitability for it, please phone +44 (0)114 276 3322 or contact us.

Know Before You Go

Jagged Globe supports the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) ‘Know Before You Go’ campaign. We recommend that you read the FCO Travel Advice for China/Tibet and Nepal on the FCO website.

What the price includes

• Economy class return airfares from the UK (unless Land Only).
• UK airline taxes.
• One return flight between Kathmandu and Lhasa by scheduled, fixed-wing aircraft.
• Two return transfers between the airport and the hotel (one on arrival and departure of your international flight and one for departure and arrival of your Lhasa flight).
• 3 nights' hotel accommodation at the Summit Hotel on a twin-sharing, half-board basis (Please note: single room supplement only applies to hotel nights in the Summit Hotel).
• 4 nights' full-board accommodation in Lhasa on a twin-sharing basis.
• 4 nights' full-board accommodation in local hotels to/from Everest Base Camp on a twin-sharing basis.
• 16 nights' full board accommodation in tents on a twin-sharing basis.
• Sightseeing tours and entry to the Potala Palace in Lhasa.
• All road transport by private vehicles.
• All meals during the expedition.
• All peak fees and climbing permits.
• Porterage to Advance Base Camp on Everest.
• All costs for a Jagged Globe leader, Climbing Guides and Sherpa staff.
• Jagged Globe kitbag or lightweight fleece.

What the price does not include

• Visa fees.
• Overseas airports taxes not paid in advance through the international airline ticket.
• Bar bills and laundry.
• Travel insurance.
• Any costs associated with you leaving the expedition early.
• Lunch and evening meals in Kathmandu.
• Ascent of The North Col (supplement payable for this Extension).
• Optional trips and sightseeing tours.
• Tips.

Tailor-made option

We can organise this expedition on a ‘tailor-made’ private basis for groups of friends, families, clubs, charities or any other group. Depending on your mountaineering experience, you may want a Jagged Globe leader or go ‘self-led’ with the assistance of local guides. The cost of going private can be surprisingly reasonable, particularly if you take the self-led option. Please contact us to discuss the itinerary and your preferred dates. We will then send you a quote, with no obligation.

Insurance

You will need a travel insurance policy that caters for the activities you will undertake on your trip with Jagged Globe. It is a requirement of our booking conditions that you have such a policy. For a list of insurers who specialise in mountaineering, trekking and skiing, please see our Travel Insurance page »

Itinerary

Here is an outline itinerary for this trip. A more detailed day-to-day itinerary is available as a downloadable PDF »

Outline Itinerary

Day 1 - 2:	Fly to Kathmandu
Day 3:	At leisure in Kathmandu We are based at the Summit Hotel - a welcome oasis.
Day 4:	Fly to Lhasa
Day 5 - 6:	Exploring Lhasa
Day 7 - 9:	Drive to Xegar (4,300m) via Shigatse (3,900m) Acclimatisation walks to 4,600m above Xegar.
Day 10:	Drive to Everest Base Camp (5,200m) From Xegar the scenery becomes even more spectacular as you round each corner. Finally there is the awesome north face of Everest, at the head of the valley before you. It's a 4 hour drive to reach base camp. Overnight camp.
Day 11 - 14:	Acclimatisation and local exploration You are based at Everest Base Camp for four days. This gives you plenty of time to enjoy the views, photograph Everest and crucially, to allow you body adapt to the altitude. Overnight camp.
Day 15 - 17:	Trek to Advance Base Camp (6,350m) Two camps are used on the trek up the Rongbuk Valley. At first you weave along a good path between the glacier and the valley side to reach Japanese Camp (5,500m). The following day you continue to Changtse Base Camp (5,800m). The valley then opens up to reveal the amazing pinnacles of the East Rongbuk Glacier. You follow the famous 'Magic Highway' between them, with Everest looming in front of you. Finally, the trail climbs onto the vast moraines that cover the mountain sides where Advance Base Camp (ABC) on Everest has been established. Lhakpa Ri is visible across the glacier to the east. Overnight camp.
Day 18 - 20:	Acclimatisation at ABC
Day 21:	Climb Lhakpa Ri (7,045m) You set off across the glacier roped up though there are few crevasses and the going is easy until you reach slopes leading up to the North Ridge. Most of the route up the ridge is about 20° to 30° and you will move together as roped teams. The views from the summit towards the north face of Everest are superb. Descend back to ABC.
Day 22:	Rest day
Day 23:	The North Col Extension (7,066m) This extension is available to those with the necessary experience and needs to be booked in advance. The entire route to the col is fixed with ropes and these provide security and assistance as you weave up between seracs of ice, crossing ladders in places. Most of the route is 20° to 40°, but there are usually some short steeper sections. The descend to ABC involves multiple abseils.
Day 24:	Spare day
Day 25:	Return trek to Everest Base Camp
Day 26 - 27:	Return drive to Lhasa Arrive back at the Summit Hotel, Kathmandu.
Day 28:	Fly Lhasa to Kathmandu Arrive back at the Summit Hotel, Kathmandu.
Day 29:	Homebound flight departures

IMPORTANT NOTE: Every effort will be made to keep to the above itinerary, but as this is Adventure Travel in a remote mountain region, we cannot guarantee it. Weather conditions, road conditions, vehicle breakdowns and the health of climbers can all contribute to changes. The Expedition Leader and our local agent will try to ensure that the trip runs according to plan, but an easy going nature will be an asset!

Optional North Col Extension

Climbers with previous mountaineering experience on Scottish Grade II/Alpine PD or above, can join the North Col. Expedition Grade 3B.

Price £500 per person

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Reports & Reviews

First Expedition: May 2001
Total: 9 trips

Have you been on this trip? If you'd like to contribute a trip report then we'll post it up on the site.

Team Member Reviews

• “It was a major undertaking. Exhausting, exhilarating, spectacular and immensely rewarding” RH, 2002
• “A great variety and richness of experiences; cultural, aesthetic and physical.” YL, 2002

Leader Reports

• Lhakpa Ri and Everest North Col 2016
  “Our team consisted of: Jo, Nicola, Derek, Charlie, Geoff, John and myself; along with Sherpas Dawa and Darinji, Sirdar Pema and Cook Argan with his 2 hardworking assistants Sonom and Tsering. ëItís Everest! Look...”
  report added 20/May/16
• Lhakpa Ri - 24 April to 22 May '10
  “There’s one of those anecdotal stories about three people walking through the countryside when they see a lone man standing on top of a hill. The three immediately fall into speculation about what he is doing: the first thinks he...”
  report added 21/May/10
• Lhakpa Ri & The North Col - 25 Apr to 23 May '09
  “With an age range from 25 to 71 this expedition was successful in getting five members to the top of Lhakpa Ri (7035m) and seven to Everest North Col (7066m). But it so nearly didn’t happen at all ……. the very late granting of...”
  report added 26/May/09
• Lhakpa Ri & The North Col - 21 Apr to 19 May '07
  “We had great success on our climbing objectives, 100% up Lhakpa Ri and five of seven team members as well as leader, sirdar and climbing sherpa up to the North Col. But ignore these mountaineering highs and we still had an...”
  report added 21/Jun/07
• Lhakpa Ri & The North Col - 28 Apr to 26 May '07
  “Success in Tibet - Jagged Globe team members reach 7,000m for the first time, on Lhakpa Ri & the North Col of Everest. Most of the team met at LHR before departing initially for Doha & onward to Kathmandu where we met our...”
  report added 19/Jun/07
• 9 more reports »

• Lhakpa Ri - 29 Apr to 25 May '06
  “To be in Tibet, what a treat! With this season’s drama in Nepal, it looked likely a few days out that an expedition to the local video shop for a copy of Seven Years in Tibet might be as close to the Himalaya as I would be getting...”
  report added 29/Jul/06
• The North Col of Everest - 29 Apr to 25 May '06
  “Due to the political situation in Nepal, the North Col of Everest expedition approached Everest by flying via Beijing, Chengdu and then on to Lhasa, instead of the usual Kathmandu approach. At Lhasa, after three days acclimatising...”
  report added 23/May/06
• Lhakpa Ri - 22 Aug to 17 Sep '05
  “After an enjoyable stay in Lhasa, taking in some of the famous sights, we made our way to Everest BC. On the way, we were fortunate to have amazing views from the Pang La of an Himalayan vista stretching from Makalu in the east...”
  report added 22/Sep/05
• North Col/Lhakpa Ri - 30 Apr to 26 May '05
  “An enjoyable and exciting expedition to the roof of the world. The team assembled in the cosy setting of the Summit Hotel in Kathmandu, where last minute shopping and preparation was undertaken before a spectacular flight across...”
  report added 06/Jun/05
• Lhakpa Ri/North Col - 30 Apr to 26 May '05
  “An enjoyable and exciting expedition to the roof of the world. The team assembled in the cosy setting of the Summit Hotel in Kathmandu, where last minute shopping and preparation was undertaken before a spectacular flight across...”
  report added 06/Jun/05
• Lhakpa Ri - 21 Aug to 16 Sep '04
  “The group led by John Eames returned to Kathmandu this afternoon (14 Sep) after a successful trip to this 7,000m peak close to Everest. The group had flown to Lhasa on 24 Aug and then spent a few days there, starting the long...”
  report added 13/Sep/04
• The North Col of Everest - 7 Apr to 3 May 04
  “An absolutely excellent trip was had by all, the weather was kind to us and we all made the summit in good style. On the 26th of April, Tim Metcalfe, Dave Webber, Wolfram Littich and leader Joe Gittins stood on the North Col of...”
  report added 13/Sep/04
• Lhakpa Ri - 1 to 27 May '04
  “On the 27th May the Lhakpa Ri expedition members returned to their respective countries after a very successful expedition in Tibet. The team travelled through Tibet taking in the most of the Tibetan culture except for the tea...”
  report added 31/May/04
• The North Col of Everest - 9 April to 5 May 2003
  “Eight team members took part in this expedition. We luckily arived in Lhasa before the Chinese closed the border because of the SARS virus. After a day of sightseeing, we began our acclimatisation program over 5 days with initial...”
  report added 08/May/03