At 7,161 m (23, 494 ft.), Mt. Pumori is the world’s 88th highest mountain. It is one of the most dramatic looking and beautiful 7,000m peaks in the world. Loved my mountaineers from around the globe, Mt. Pumori is not a particularly difficult mountain to summit. Laying only 8 km west of Mt. Everest on the Nepal-Tibet border, climbing this Himalayan giant requires trekking in the coveted Everest region. It was named Pumori by British climber George Mallory. Pumo means ‘’young girl’’ and Ri means ‘’mountain’’ in Sherpa language. So, Mt. Pumori is known as the ‘’Mountain Daughter’’, also often referred to as Everest’s daughter by climbers. Mallory also called it Clare Peak after his own daughter. Pumori is the mountain dominating the skyline behind Kalapatthar 5,555m. Since it is in the vicinity, Mt. Pumori makes for an ideal preparation climb for those aspiring to tackle technical mountains near or above 8,000m, like Mt. Everest.
Climbing Mt. Pumori ( Mt. Pumori Expedition)
In 1962, Gerhard Lenser of a German-Swiss expedition made the first successful summit of Mt. Pumori. It is an increasingly popular peak to climb in the Khumbu region. Our 38-day-long Mount Pumori expedition starts in Kathmandu. We spend a few days in Kathmandu-preparing for the trip and sightseeing. The first few days of the journey involve us taking the usual Everest Base Camp trekking route. Once we land in Lukla, we trek towards Namche. We follow the classic Everest Base Camp Trail till Lobuche. From Lobuche, we head towards Pumori Base Camp. We spend three days at the base camp acclimatizing. During these three days, we make an acclimatization trip to the Everest Base Camp. Days 15 to 32 are set aside for the actual climb. We set up three camps at different altitudes- camp 1 at 5,700m camp 2 at 6,200m, and camp 3 at 6,480m.
Mt. Pumori Expedition Routes:
● We take the classic route instead of the risky one via Kalapatthar. We attempt the summit through the South East Ridge route, which is the standard route. Pumori is a Grade 3 level climb, it isn’t extremely technical but requires a certain amount of understanding of mountaineering techniques and familiarity with high altitudes. Adventure Club Trek gives acclimatization a major priority during the expedition.
● Three camps are set up above Pumori Base Camp, which is at 5,300m. A 4-hour-long climb through the glaciers brings us to our first camp at 5,700m. The second camp is set at 6,200m and requires climbing the face of Pumori at 40-60 degree slopes. The third camp is at 6,480m and we get there climbing ice walls and crevasses. It is from camp 3, we pass through crevasses and the Pumori cliff to finally make it to the summit.
Adventure Club Trek has 10+ years of experience in high altitude expeditions and engages guides and mountaineers with 15+ years of experience in the field.
We also offer Ama Dablam Expedition – 30 days for those who want a shorter expedition in the Everest region. Adventure Club Trek also organizes the expedition to Mt. Everest. Check out our Everest Expedition via South Side – 67 Days.
Upon your arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM), you will be welcomed by a representative from Adventure Club Trek. After sorting out your custom formalities (visa and so on), you will be then transferred to your respective hotel in Adventure Club Trek’s private vehicle and give you some time to freshen up. After this, you will attend an orientation about your trek led by the trekking leader over a welcome dinner. Overnight at hotel.
Today, we go on a sightseeing tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the city. We start the program after breakfast, first visiting the sacred Hindu temple of Pashupatinath. Though non-Hindus are not allowed inside the main premises of the temple we are allowed to visit the cremation site and surrounding areas. We then head to Boudhanath, considered one of the largest stupas in Asia due to the massive mandala that surrounds the main dome. The smell of Himalayan incense and locals doing kora(making clockwise rounds of the stupa) gives you a little insight on Buddhist culture. Our next stop is Swayambhunath also known as the Monkey Temple, located on top of a hill. The stupa is similar to Boudhanath, but here the stupa is surrounded by many temples and shrines. Some of the temples date back to the medieval Lichchhavi period. Our final stop is Kathmandu Durbar square which is a fine example of Newari architecture. The premises of the Durbar square house many temples and royal palaces, however, most of the temples and building were destroyed by the 2015 earthquake and are being renovated. Overnight in Kathmandu.
Today, we head to the Ministry of Tourism where a formal briefing is given. Also, our expedition leader will examine everyone’s equipment to check for any faults. Overnight in a hotel at Kathmandu.
This is the last day in Kathmandu before heading out to the Himalayas. If you have left out anything on your purchase list this is the time to stock it up. Overnight in a hotel at Kathmandu.
We board an early morning flight from TIA to Tenzing Hillary Airport in Lukla. It is considered one of the most scenic flights as we fly right beside some of the world’s highest mountains like Mt. Everest.
Upon our landing, our guide will assign one porter per two trekkers. As our team unloads our luggage we have some spare time to visit the small town of Lukla. After everything is set, we begin our trek heading down towards the Dudh Kosi river until we reach the main trail towards Namche Bazaar just above Chaunri kharka. It is an easy walk to Phakding after we walk past the small village of Ghat. Overnight in a teahouse at Phakding.
After leaving Phakding, our trail continues through pine and fir forest. We then walk along the banks of Dudh Kosi River, crossing it many time on our way to our destination, Namche Bazaar, known as the Gateway to Everest. The fantastic Mt.Thamserku accompanies us throughout most parts of the day. The trail climbs steeply after we enter the Sagarmatha National Park rewarding us with spectacular views of Mt. Everest peeking from the Lhotse-Nuptse ridge. On our final stretch to Namche, we cross a suspension bridge name Hillary bridge, the highest on our path today. Overnight in a teahouse at Namche Bazaar.
In order to enjoy a good trekking experience, acclimatization plays a key role. It helps to adjust our body quicker to the thinning air at high altitudes. At over 3,000m and with views of Mt. Everest, Namche Bazaar is a perfect place to acclimatize.The day starts off with a short trek up to the Everest View Hotel to enjoy the view of the mighty Everest followed by an exploration trip to the Syangboche Airport. A quick visit to the Sherpa Museum gives us a little insight into the history and culture of the locals. Next, we trek to Khumjung village, only if time permits as it is comparatively longer trip. Here we visit the monastery that has a ‘’Yeti’s head’’ on display. And, also go to the Edmund Hillary School. Overnight in a teahouse at Namche Bazaar.
We leave Namche Bazaar and walk beside the glacial river Dudh Kosi to first arrive at Phunki. The trail then climbs up to Tengboche where we spend the night.At Tengboche we are rewarded with spectacular mountain views of Thamserku, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam and Everest among others. The village houses Khumbu Region’s largest monastery, Tengboche Monastery. Inside there is a huge 20 foot statue of Buddha. Overnight in a teahouse at Tengboche.
Enjoy breakfast amidst serene mountain views before heading out to Dingboche. The trail to Dingboche starts off with a walk through rhododendron and coniferous forest. We then descend to Imja Khola until we cross a bridge over the magnificent river to arrive at Debuche. We continue on our journey, now, climbing up towards Pangboche. There are two routes to get there and we choose the upper path which provides fantastic Himalayan views. Upon reaching the Pangboche village we explore the Pangboche Monastery. After a quick visit, we head down towards Lobuche River after which the trail ascends to Dingboche, our rest stop for the night. Overnight in a teahouse at Dingboche.
Our trek to Dingboche kickstarts with a gradual climb to Duglha. The trail climbs steeper as we head to Chupki Lhara where we can see prayers flags as a tribute to Scott Fischer and Babu Chiri Sherpa(lost their lives during an expedition trip to summit Everest). Fischer was an American mountaineer and Babu was a Nepali guide who had summited Everest 10 times. We walk past the area towards the moraine of Khumbu Glacier surrounded by mountains like Pumori, Mahalangur Himal, Khumbutse and Lingtren among others. Here onwards it is an easy walk to Lobuche. Overnight in a teahouse at Lobuche.
We leave for Pumori BaseCamp after breakfast at Lobuche. We first ascend to Gorak Shep where we come across two paths; towards the Everest Base Camp and the other leading to Pumori Base Camp. We take the latter one. Overnight in a tented camp at the Pumori Base Camp.
We spend a few days at the Pumori Base Camp acclimatizing and preparing our body for the big day. We get familiar with our climbing equipment, using them during our training at Base Camp. We also learn to use fixed ropes to climb up and down. During our stay at the base camp, we also make trip to the Everest Base Camp. Here we enjoy spectacular views of the Khumbu Icefall, Mt. Nuptse, and Mt. Pumori among others. We again return to the Pumori Base Camp. Overnight in a tented camp at Pumori Base Camp.
There is no fixed itinerary for the climbing period as it will be determined by the expedition leader based on the fitness and the experience of the climbers. A flexible approach is taken to climb Mt. Pumori as to make it a pleasant experience to everyone involved. After acclimatizing at 5,300m in the Pumori Base Camp just above Gorak Shep we move to our next campsite that is Camp1 at 5,700m. Our second camp is set at 6,200m on ridge and the final Camp at 6,480m around a corner after a ridge. We spend around 15 day getting familiar with the condition at such high altitudes. A professional cook will prepare all three meals during our stay here. We sleep in high quality thermal tents, one person per tent. Most of the time will be spent going back and forth from Camp 1 to Camp 2; also the most technical part of the climb.
Camp 1: To summit Mt. Pumori at least three camps should be set up after the main Base Camp. The first camp is set at an altitude of 5,700m. We walk for 3 hours to get to this point, overcoming rocky paths, narrow ridge, and ice walls. We may require fixed ropes in some parts as the slopes are at a 65 degree angle.
Camp 2: The next camp is set at an altitude of 6,200m. This camp is located on a narrow ridge, safe from avalanches. We climb on ice using fixed ropes as the surface is angled from 35-65 degrees.
Camp 3: The third camp is set at 6,480m. From Camp 3 we can see the Tibetan Plateau. The camp is placed around a corner after a ridge.
There are two routes to summit Mt. Pumori, the normal route through the Pumori Base Camp and the another via South-West ridge. The latter route is a difficult one and is not undertaken by many. The route is from the top of Kalapatthar and straight up which extends to 75 degree. The route is risky so many take the normal route. If the guides and expedition leader give a green flag, we summit Mt. Pumori from Camp 3. On the big day we start early at around 2-3am with a target to reach the top by morning. We then head down to Pumori Base Camp for the night.
Adventure Club Trek will manage a farewell drive to the international airport for your final flight departure. Meeting you and serving you was a wonderful experience over the weeks. We are sure you enjoyed a wonderful holiday in beautiful Nepal. We hope you will remember us in the years ahead.
Today, we head down towards Pheriche from the Base Camp. We walk mostly downhill passing by Lobuche and Thukla Village. Magnificent views of Everest, Lhotse, Pumori and Ama Dablam among others make the journey exciting. Overnight in a teahouse at Pheriche.
We retrace our steps back to Namche Bazaar. The trail takes us through rhododendron and juniper forest, which then opens up to the village of Pangboche. We then head towards Imja Khola again through a forest to arrive at Tengboche. Through rhododendron and juniper forest, we come across a bridge over the Dudh Kosi River after which the trail drop down towards Sansa. We pass a chorten to finally arrive at Namche Bazaar. Overnight in a teahouse at Namche Bazaar.
We follow our steps back to Lukla, crossing a few suspension bridges and passing through a number of villages. Overnight in a teahouse at Lukla
Today, we head back to the capital city. We board an early morning flight from Tenzing Hillary Airport in Lukla to TIA in Kathmandu. Upon reaching Kathmandu you can opt to rest or roam around the city. You can also do some souvenir shopping. Overnight in a hotel in Kathmandu.
An extra day is set aside for flight delays from Lukla or any other unforeseen events. In case everything runs smoothly, this day is used us leisure day in Kathmandu. Our company will throw a farewell dinner party to all the trekkers and guides involved in the expedition. Overnight in a hotel at Kathmandu.
Flight Delay in Kathmandu and Lukla
The unpredictability of the weather in mountain areas directly affects the flights to and from Lukla. The Twin Otter planes that are used for transport from and to Lukla are reasonably reliable in good weather conditions. But, the flights may be delayed or canceled due to technical problems and extreme weather conditions.To ensure you stay on your schedule in case the Twin Otter flight cancels or delays too far, we can charter you a helicopter. While the helicopter can fly at the visibility of 15,000m, the Twin Otters require 5,000m visibility, according to Nepal Civil Aviation rules.
You can pay for the helicopter in US cash, credit cards or traveler’ cheques directly to our Kathmandu office. We provide a receipt for the payment which you can present to claim the amount back from your travel insurance company. Helicopter charges range from a minimum of US$500 to a maximum of US$2500. Also, we recommend you land in Kathmandu a day before we start the trek. You have enough time to buy trekking gears and beat off the jet lag. Having a few days extra left after your trek is also an excellent way to ensure you don’t miss your international flight in case of difficulties during the trek which might lengthen your trip. It also gives you a way to beat the flight cancellation to or from Lukla in case of severe weather.
Note: Your safety is of the utmost concern whilst you are traveling with Adventure Club Trek. We will make every effort possible to follow the original itinerary but we reserve the right to change that itinerary if a segment of it becomes a safety issue. Certain mountain regions are remote, natural disasters can happen, weather conditions can decline and there can be illness or an injury. To avoid dangerous situations we may occasionally have to make changes to the itinerary to ensure everyone’s safety. That having been said, Adventure Club Trek will strive to provide you with the best possible trekking experience and to keep your safety our number one priority. In case, the flight delay/cancellation happens at the start of the trip and it goes so long that it disturbs your onward travel schedule, you are free to choose an alternative trip: such a trek in the Annapurna, Langtang, or any other regions.
Pre-Trip Meeting
Prior to all the treks and expeditions, Adventure Club Trek hosts a pre-trip meeting in Kathmandu. The primary purpose of the meeting is to provide an opportunity for individuals to ask questions about the forthcoming trek and to introduce other team members. The meeting covers topics as diverse as personal equipment and acclimatization and usually involves a hike and some skills training. Pre-trip meeting is very important in order to have a better preparation of the trekking.