Island Peak Expedition – 19 Days
Imja Tse — the perfect first Himalayan climbing peak. The Everest Base Camp route as acclimatisation, then glacier travel and a fixed-rope summit climb under the Lhotse south face.
Trip Facts
| Duration | 19 days (16 trekking/climbing days, includes Everest Base Camp) |
|---|---|
| Max altitude | 6,189m / 20,305ft — Island Peak (Imja Tse) summit |
| Difficulty | Challenging |
| Trek start / end | Kathmandu |
| Best season | Apr–May, Oct–Nov |
| Accommodation | Teahouse + 2 nights tented base camp |
| Group size | 2–8 (1:2 Sherpa ratio on summit day) |
| Permits | NMA climbing permit + Sagarmatha National Park + Khumbu municipality |
| Daily walking | 5–7 hours; 10–12 hours on summit day |
Overview
Island Peak — Imja Tse on the Nepali maps — is the most climbed 6,000m peak in Nepal and the standard first step from trekking into mountaineering. It sits in the Imja valley east of Dingboche, and from Chhukung it genuinely looks like an island: a rock and ice pyramid marooned in a sea of glacier, with the Lhotse south face rising 3,000m of ice directly behind it. This is not a walk-up. The route crosses a crevassed glacier roped together, then climbs a 100m headwall of 45–50 degree snow and ice on fixed line, and finishes along a narrow, exposed summit ridge. You will use crampons, an ice axe, a harness, an ascender and a descender for real — which is why the itinerary includes a full training day at base camp before summit night. Eighteen to twenty days is the range that actually works for this mountain, and our nineteen-day version routes the acclimatisation through Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar before turning east into the Imja valley. That means Namche, Tengboche, the Khumbu glacier and the Everest sunrise are all included, and it means you have slept sixteen nights above 2,800m and touched 5,545m before you go anywhere near the headwall. No previous climbing experience is required, but real hill fitness is. Summit day starts between 1 and 2am and runs ten to twelve hours. If you can walk seven hours a day for a week and then do a very long day at altitude, you are the climber this trip is built for.
Highlights
- Summit a 6,189m Himalayan peak with no prior mountaineering experience required
- Everest Base Camp and the Kala Patthar sunrise built into the acclimatisation
- The Lhotse south face at sunrise from the summit ridge — 3,000m of vertical ice
- Full glacier and fixed-rope training day at base camp with your climbing guide
- 1:2 climbing Sherpa ratio on summit day — 1:1 available on request
- Ama Dablam, Makalu, Baruntse and Cho Oyu from the top on a clear morning
- NMA summit certificate on return to Kathmandu
Itinerary
Arrive Kathmandu; expedition briefing and equipment check
Fly Kathmandu/Ramechhap to Lukla; trek to Phakding
Phakding to Namche Bazaar
Namche acclimatisation day — hike to Everest View Hotel
Namche to Tengboche monastery
Tengboche to Dingboche
Dingboche acclimatisation day — hike to Nangkartshang Peak
Dingboche to Lobuche village
Lobuche to Gorak Shep and Everest Base Camp; return to Gorak Shep
Kala Patthar sunrise; descend to Dingboche
Dingboche to Chhukung
Chhukung to Island Peak Base Camp; camp set-up
Base camp — rope, ascender, crampon and ice axe training day
Summit day: base camp to Island Peak summit; descend to Chhukung
Contingency day for weather or a second summit attempt
Chhukung to Pangboche
Pangboche to Namche Bazaar
Namche to Lukla
Fly Lukla to Kathmandu; summit certificate and farewell dinner
Day 15 is a genuine contingency day, not padding. Lukla flights and summit weather both fail often enough that an expedition without a spare day is an expedition that turns around.
What the Price Includes
Cost Includes
- Airport pick-up and drop-off (private vehicle)
- All ground transport and internal flights per itinerary
- Teahouse/lodge accommodation on the trekking phase (twin share)
- Full-board tented camp at base camp and high camp
- Hotel accommodation in Kathmandu per itinerary (3-star, B&B)
- Three meals a day from the trailhead to the summit and back
- Government-licensed climbing guide (IFMGA or NNMGA certified)
- Climbing Sherpa on summit day — 1:2 ratio, 1:1 on Tilicho Peak
- Porter service on the trekking phase (1 porter per 2 members, max 25kg)
- All staff wages, insurance, equipment, food and lodging
- Climbing permit and national park/conservation entry fees
- TIMS card and Khumbu rural municipality fee
- Group climbing equipment — fixed and main rope, ice screws, snow bar, pickets
- Expedition tents, kitchen tent, dining tent, toilet tent and mattresses
- Emergency oxygen, mask and regulator carried by the climbing team
- Satellite phone and radio communication at base camp
- First aid kit, pulse oximeter and portable altitude chamber (PAC bag)
- Duffel bag, expedition map and company T-shirt
- Summit certificate issued by the Nepal Mountaineering Association
- All government taxes and service charges
Cost Excludes
- International airfare and Nepal visa fees
- Travel and medical insurance (mandatory — must cover helicopter evacuation and climbing to 7,500m)
- Meals in Kathmandu (except welcome and farewell dinner)
- Personal climbing equipment — boots, crampons, ice axe, harness, helmet, ascender, descender
- Personal trekking and down clothing
- Hot showers, Wi-Fi, battery charging and bottled drinks on trek
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
- Personal expenses — laundry, phone, souvenirs
- Emergency evacuation costs (recoverable from your insurer)
- Summit bonus for climbing Sherpa (customary — we advise the current rate)
- Tips for guide, Sherpa and porters
- Anything not listed under "Cost Includes"
Best Time to Trek
The most reliable season. Clear skies, stable weather, firm trails and the sharpest mountain views of the year. Book early; this is peak season on every route.
The second-best window and the finest season for scenery below 4,000m, when rhododendron forests are in full bloom. Warmer nights and longer days, with some afternoon haze building through May.
Clear, quiet and cold. Excellent for lower routes such as Poon Hill, Mardi Himal and Kathmandu Valley. High passes may close under snow.
Wet and leech-prone on most routes, but this is the right season for the rain-shadow trails: Upper Mustang, Nar Phu and Upper Dolpo.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, and most of our climbers have none. You need to be a strong trekker and willing to learn. Day 13 is a full training day at base camp covering crampon technique, ice axe use, ascender and descender on fixed rope, and roped glacier travel — taught by your guide before you use any of it for real.
Graded Alpine PD+. The walking is long rather than technical, but the headwall is 100m of 45–50 degree snow and ice climbed on fixed line, and the summit ridge is narrow and exposed. Summit day is 10–12 hours from a 1am start. The altitude, not the climbing, is what turns most people around.
Personal gear — double or insulated boots, crampons, ice axe, harness, helmet, ascender, descender, carabiners and a down jacket rated to −20°C. Group gear — rope, ice screws, snow bars, tents — is included. Everything personal can be rented in Kathmandu or Namche, and we send a full list on booking.
Around 85–90% on this nineteen-day itinerary. The shorter twelve-day versions sold elsewhere run closer to 60%, almost entirely because of insufficient acclimatisation. The extra nights and the contingency day are what buy you the summit.
It is the standard proving ground. Island Peak plus Lobuche East is the usual resume for an Everest permit, and the skills — fixed-rope ascent, crampon work at altitude, a long summit night — are exactly the same, just shorter.
Yes. Days 8 to 10 take you to Base Camp at 5,364m and up Kala Patthar at 5,545m before the climbing phase, at no supplement. It is the best acclimatisation available and the reason our success rate is what it is.
Ready to Book This Trek?
Departures run year-round on your dates — private groups, couples and solo trekkers all welcome. Tell us your dates and we will send a full quote within 24 hours.
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