Upper Gokyo Lakes (Nepal)
There is no other housing to the north of the village of Gokyo (Nepal) (unless, of course, you decide to cross to Tibet). However, due to the relatively simple terrain and slight elevation gain, the upper Gokyo Valley allows for excellent radials, covering significant distances in one day. If the weather is good and you start early, you can run up to 20 kilometers before sunset.
It is worth noting, however, that as soon as snow falls in the Gokyo Valley, and this can happen at any moment, the speed and range of movement will drop significantly and the path through the snow is unlikely to be trodden further than to the fourth lake.
This fourth lake is called Tonak. The lake is located at an altitude of 4840 meters above sea level, i.e. 90 meters above the village of Gokyo. The smooth ascent there usually takes about two hours. You can follow the wide “main” trail along the valley floor, or try your luck making your way along the less traveled paths along the moraine ridge. Theoretically, there are good views from there, but in practice you are more likely to constantly look at your feet while making your way among the boulders.
Most tourists, having reached Lake Tonak (it will be on the left, a little below the path), stop there and, after meditating slightly on the water, consider the acclimatization plan completed and return back to Gokyo.
If your strength overwhelms you, and noon has not yet arrived, then you can think about extending the radial to the fifth lake. The fifth, upper lake of Gokyo has the same name as the neighboring glacier - Ngozumpa. It is located at an altitude of 4980 meters above sea level. There are again two paths leading to the fifth lake. The left one is light, flat and relatively trampled. The right one is more complex and spectacular, clinging to the crest of the moraine.
East of Lake Ngozumpa, on the ridge of the moraine, there is a hill (height 5000m) decorated with prayer flags. This place is called "Scoundrels Lookout" or "Hill 153". I can’t say anything about the local scoundrels, but the views here are really excellent. In the north, Cho Oyu and Gyachung Kang rise, and the Ngozumpa glacier spreads across the valley. In the east, beyond the Changri La pass (5697m), Nuptse, Lhotse, Makalu and of course the northern slope of Everest are clearly visible. They say that from the Scoundrel Lookout, with good binoculars you can see the place where Irvine and Mallory died.
The radial route to the upper lakes of Gokyo is included in the program of our tour to Nepal "Everest + Gokyo". Join us!