How difficult is Lobuche East Peak climbing?

Climbing mountains always demands that some level of fitness and endurance besides that, Lobuche East Peak is considered to be one of the beginner's mountains and listed as one of the trekking peaks so, it is an achievable summit with some level of fitness, and endurance along with proper acclimatization before starting climbing.

Which is the difficult mountain Lobuche East Peak or Island Peak?

If there is a comparison between Lobuche East Peak and Island Peak, the Island peak is more popular, and more people come to the summit. although the island peak is higher by about 70 meters, it is considered less technical and mostly used only base camp before the summit. on the other hand for the Lobuche east peak, base camp and high camp is used before the summit because it is hard to achieve straight from the base camp and it has more verticle section. so, to sum up, Lobuche east peak is considered a little difficult one.

Lobuche east peak expedition with Everest base camp trekking

Raised above the Lobuche village Lobuche East Peak is 6,119 meters peak which is one of the popular trekking peaks in the Everest region. Lobuche East Peak was submitted first by Laurence Nielsson and Ang Gyalzen Sherpa on April 25, 1984.

Although Lobuche East Peak is not a very technical mountain, the summit demands a good number of physical effort as it is a challenging peak, unlike another famous climbing peak, the island peak (6189M) near the region.

Climbing Lobuche East Peak, you can have the best mountaineering experience while being in this region. Being on the summit of the peak many of the Khumbu region’s highest mountains can be seen such as Mount Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Pumori, Ama Dablam, Tawoche, Cholatse, and many other peaks along with a beautiful valley down below.

For the Lobuche East Peak expedition, we trek through the Khumbu valley of the Everest region following the famous Everest base camp trail. The journey starts after landing at Lukla airstrip (2840M) and continues to Phakding (2610M) and Namche bazaar (3440M) on the first and the second night of the trek.

In Namche Bazaar we take an acclimatization day in which we hike to a famous landmark of the region, Everest View Hotel (3880M). The trek continues to Tengboche on our next day which has a 400-year-old monastery. Then, on the 5th day go to the dryer region of Dingboche (4400M) where we take another acclimatization day in which we hike to NangkarTshang hill (5091M).

After this, our journey goes to the higher region of the trek to Lobuche (4920M) and then goes to Gorak Shep (5160M) on the following day, on this day we detour to Everest base camp (5364M). The next morning, we went back down to Lobuche after our morning climb onto Kala Patthar (5545M) from where we can take in great views of the high mountains, Khumbu glacier, and the valley.

Hereafter the real adventure of mountaineering begins when you get to Lobuche base camp (5050M) where you get some climbing training and instruction before kickoff. The next day before submitting it goes to Lobuche East Peak High Camp (5600M) and there as well you have plenty of time to acclimatize.

On your summiting day, you start up early morning around 2 to 3 AM, and after having breakfast it goes higher ground to the crampon point where you suit up the climbing gears. Then the trail all treads upon the glacier to the Lobuche East Peak summit (6119M) which rewards you with unparalleled mountains, valleys, glaciers, and lakes.

On our journey back we retraced the same trail back to Lukla and took a flight back to Kathmandu to end the journey.

How difficult is climbing to Lobuche East Peak?

Lobuche East Peak is listed as one of the trekking peaks among 33 designated peaks in Nepal. Although it has some even 45 to 50 degrees angled inclination route to the summit, this peak is less technical and has a high success rate of 8 out of 10 climbers.

The walk to high camp begins from Lobuche base camp which is about 5050 meters then it steeply climbs up on the hill and eventually through a rocky trail to high camp at 5600m. Then the trail scrambles on rock slabs for a while and continues on rocky steep trails until crampon points.

After putting on crampons, climbing goes on through the ice and taking some fixed rope in between to the summit where your skill on using an ascender, ice ax, crampons, and rope handling come in handy. So overall, it is not that technical but does ask for a good amount of physical fitness and endurance.

How much is the permit cost for climbing Lobuche East Peak?

The cost of the climbing permit for Lobuche Peak (east) differs according to the season during the spring season which is from “March to May”, it costs USD 250 per head whereas during the autumn season which is “From September to November” and it only costs half which is USD 125 per head. Moreover, during the summer season, it only costs USD 70 per head for a climbing permit.

Likewise, you also have to deposit USD 500 for the Garbage deposit which is refundable after your climbing is done.

Trip Reviews

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5based on 50 reviews

If you want to experience true, kind Nepali hospitality and a great trek, don’t look for another agency.

I had the incredible opportunity to complete 4 different treks with Discover Altitude: Three Passes, ABC, Annapurna Circuit and Langtang. Each time, the experience exceeded my expectations! The owners, Kumar and Santosh, along with their guides are exceptionally professional, knowledgeable and attentive to every detail. Everything was very well planned for all treks, and I felt safe even at the highest altitudes, thanks to their friendly and supportive guides.

There are many agencies to choose from, and I visited many, but when I met Kumar and Santosh the quality of their personalities quickly became evident. They treated me as a friend they genuinely wanted to support, not just a client, caring only about the money. Even if I hadn’t signed up, they would have treated me the same, not as potential or lost business. This authenticity is why I chose them! This was the only agency where I had that gut feeling, which turned out to be correct. They always went the extra mile. Before each trek, they spent a lot of time going through all the details with me to ensure I had everything I needed and was ready to go. They also checked up on me along the way. During all these times, they truly became my friends!

If you want to experience true, kind Nepali hospitality and a great trek, don’t look for another agency. They are also very competitively priced for both solo and group trips! I cannot recommend them highly enough!

Mustang - Kagbeni, Muktinath 6-day tour

We chose a 6-day course that tours Kagbeni and Muktinath, the gateway to Mustang from Kathmandu. It takes 3 days to actually walk, so it's a safe course even for beginners.

Fly from Kathmandu to Pokhara. Fly from Pokhara to Jomsom (30-minute flight), then hike 3 hours to Kagbeni. Hike 5-6 hours to Muktinath. Return to Jomsom via a different route. Take a lunch break at Rupna on the way. Fly to Pokhara. Fly back to Kathmandu.

It was late May before the rainy season, but we were blessed with clear skies and were able to see the beautiful mountain ranges of Nilgiri and Annapurna. The desolate landscape of Mustang was very beautiful, and it was a very interesting experience to get a glimpse of the life of the villagers in Kagbeni.

It was quite hot during the daytime walks in late May. Short sleeves are fine. If you don't want to get sunburned, wear thin long sleeves. Since it gets cold in the mornings and evenings in Muktinath, I wore a light down jacket, but if you layer up a warm long sleeve jacket, you can wear a hiking jacket instead of a down jacket.

Our trekking guide, Amar, was very kind and not only guided us on hiking but also carefully explained the history and people's lives. (In English) He always took care to make the trek comfortable, and the walking pace was adjusted to suit our physical strength, so we were able to enjoy it without any strain.

Kumar handled advance reservations and questions, and he responded to emails very quickly. After arriving in Kathmandu, I visited the office and Kumar gave me a brief explanation of the schedule. In Kathmandu, Santosh handled my communications and accompanied me to the transfer between the hotel and the airport. Both of them were cheerful and kind.
During the tour, I asked to change my plan to stay in Pokhara for two nights after the trek (of course, the additional hotel fee was at my own expense), and I am grateful that he quickly and readily responded to my request, such as changing my flight on the return trip.

A Once-in-a-lifetime EBC Trekking Trip

What a once-in-a-lifetime trek to EBC! Waking up at midnight to dogs barking or in the morning to birds chirping and singing and the sound of rushing river, looking out the window and seeing the mountain so close as if within reach, roaming around Namche Bazaar and checking out the local markets, setting off in the sound of school children's morning drill, crossing rivers and valleys over the suspension bridges, passing the mani stones in the villages and the stupas on the trail, watching porters with oversized load strapped on their heads stepping to the lively beat of loud Nepali songs, navigating rocks uphill inside the dark clouds and white-out snow, trekking on the winding trail through dusty forests, misty mountain passes, wide open scrub land, and rugged and rocky barren land, with the famous and mysterious mountain peaks seemingly around every corner or suddenly elusive behind the wandering clouds, and flying down in helicopter provided every moment to admire the mountainous landscape and appreciate local life in this harsh environment. It’s been almost two weeks since I came back yet the sceneries and sounds on the trail still linger.

The EBC trek was also grueling - the long distance, the high elevation, the thin air at times mixed with dust or animal smell, the coldness at night, the completely unpredictable weather that could change by the minute – and every little inconvenience could pile on the exhaustion from a long day of trekking, but the thoughtful services by my guide Krishna made all these bearable. Every day after arriving at the tea house he made sure food was ordered and I had a spot to sit next to the stove to warm up. Every morning before we leave the tea house, he made sure bill was paid and everything was packed and ready. On the trail he was patient, watchful, and protective when the yaks and horses approaching. My tour company Discover Altitude was very flexible and allowed me to change my trekking schedule on the fly, including booking tea houses during peak season and securing single room occupancy. In fact, the three unplanned tea houses in Jorsalle, Phungi Thenga, and Dughla, allowed me to enjoy the real serenity near nature and away from crowds. The company also booked a helicopter, outside of my original plan, to fly me out back in Kathmandu in time. Their flexibility was crucial for me to have a successful and enjoyable EBC trekking trip.

Thank you Krishna for your kind-hearted service.

And thank you Santosh for showing me the street food, the hidden temples, and the vibrant life around the old town of Kathmadu.

Discover Altitude is the best!

Discover Altitude is the best trekking guide / tour operator in Nepal. Two days ago my friend and I reached Everest Base Camp on May 4th (trekking day 8).

On day 9, helicopter picked us up at Gorakshep - last tea house before EBC. Helicopter transported us back to Kathmandu via Lukla — 2.5 hour stop for refueling and other logistics. Hiking back down 3 extra days is not for everyone.

Reaching EBC was a small miracle for me. I was the biggest person (XXL) trekking. I trained for over a year… lost significant amount of weight to even attempt EBC. Everything had to go perfectly and it did. Planning was key. Some days were incredibly challenging and required very-very slow / steady pace.

At every step my guide was right there to support as needed. On some hills my guide was 12 inches behind me in case I lost balance from exhaustion.

We were blessed to have Amar as our guide and his younger brother, Shukla, as porter. They did everything for us … from finding bathrooms, ordering meals, dealing with hotels, first aid, and fun to talk with too. Multiple times during the trek other guides whispered to us that Amar is one of the best guides in the region.

We opted for the luxury tour with nicer hotels + helicopter ride to Lukla to start + helicopter return from the top. Paying extra for luxury tour is worth every penny. We met some hikers not having a good experience. Painfully obvious they chose the wrong guide / tour operator.

If you are in perfect shape and you’ve trekked Nepal many times before- maybe having the best guide isn’t as critical. But for us we relied on our guides for every decision … even down to what to eat and drink at different altitudes.

TIPS:

1- take diamox right from the start (1 day before starting the trek)

2- take helicopter to/from Lukla. If you don’t take helicopter, be prepared to sit around for days waiting on weather to clear for airplane flight. People stuck at the airport waiting multiple days to get out aren’t having a good time.

3- go vegetarian. You’ll love ra-ra noodle vegetable soup

4- bring tons of electrolyte packets and drink 5 liters/day

5- pack for very cold days at the end (EBC). Both outer-wear gear and warm jackets for nights at the hotel. Be prepared for extremely dry air at night. Bring nasal spray to help breath through your nose.

6- get plenty NPR cash in Lukla or Kathmandu. In a pinch, tea house hotels can run your CC to give you NPR cash… will cost 10% extra charge.

7- tip your guides as generously as you can

8- don’t bring huge camera unless you are ok lugging the extra weight. Newer iPhone or Android do fantastic job.

9- go slow. Don’t skip rest (acclimatizing) days.

10- Book your trip with Discover Altitude. Kumar will email you immediately with details to help you customize your trip. He will work through every question / idea with patience. We had at least a dozen unusual requests including special activities in Kathmandu after the trek. Kumar and our guides made them all happen. Remember to request booking at nicer hotels.

11- go with friend or family you really enjoy being with for two weeks. Having someone to motivate you and just hang out together makes the trip so much better.

12- day 2 to Namche might be your hardest day, particularly after Hillary Bridge… 1-2 hours straight uphill at the end. Don’t give up. Go slow and ask for help (horse available if can’t make it up that hill).

Awesome 10 day EBC trekking experience

I’m towards the tail end of my 10 day EBC trek arranged by Discover Altitude. Overall, I’ve been very happy with the trip so far. Santosh did his best to make sure my trip went according to plan. He was also extremely accommodating to my request for alterations to itinerary during the trip. Always ready to help, no questions asked.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank my guide, Sandip Lama. He is an energetic and hardworking young man that went above and beyond to make me trip as comfortable as possible. He’s also flexible in accommodating my last minute change request. For example, when I saw Ama Dablam for the first time, I was blown by its beauty and came up with the idea of doing a side trip to its base camp. It’s require at least half a days time. Sandip agreed without any hesitation and helped with the trip planning. In the end, the side trip didn’t happen simply because I ran out of steam. As a guide, Sandip’s main responsibility is leading me with the trip. But he also offered to carry my bag when I got very tired. This is what I call above and beyond. Again, thank you Sandip and I hope we’ll embark on my adventures in the future!

Great Service from begining to end!

We reached out to a number of treking companies, quite last minute when the opportunity came up to go to Nepal. We got a lot of responses but in the end, Discover Altitude had exactly what we were looking for and very helpful along the way. When we arrived in Kathmandu we met at their office and they went into detail about what we could expect and answered all our weird questions!!(first timers!)
We were picked up by an excellent driver, met our guide ahead of time( that was the only confusion was if we were getting a guide/ a guide/porter or a guide and porter, it all worked out very well despite zero training on our part. On the last day we hiked up out of Namche,to the helicopter that took us over base camp with a short landing on Kala Patthar before returning back to Lukla and then Kathmandu where Discover Altitude picked us up and generally looked after us from start to finish including a couple of day tours around Kathmandu. It was spectacular , Santosh and Kumar were very caring and you could tell how proud they were of their company and employees.

Unforgettable experience in beautiful mountains

This was my first trek in Nepal and it was truly amazing. The trip was very well organized, our guide Thakur was very friendly and always selected great places for rest and food. Our porter Chandra was very helpful and always in the good mood, although he needed to carry a lot more than we did.
The surrounding of Manaslu is amazing piece of nature full of wild animals, beautiful plants, breathtaking views and nice locals in the villages. Also the journey to the start of the trek by local transport was unforgettable experience.
I would recommend this tour to all trekkers, who are looking for great adventure in beautiful mountains and don't want to share the track with crowds as it could happen at the better known treks around Everest or Annapurna.
You should be ready to step out of the comfort zone for few moments - yes, few ascents were challenging due to high altitude and it was very cold one night we spent at Dharmasala - the last village before Larkey Pass.
After our comeback to Kathmandu we had very nice lunch with Kumar and Santosh - the guys from Discover Altitude who told us many interesting facts about life in Nepal.
All in all it was one of the best experiences in my life and in few years I will definitely come back to Nepal and go for another trek with Discover Altitude.

Best of Nepal

Excellent. Very intelligent crew and warm-hearted people.😃🙏❤️ Good Organisation and professional. I can recommend for all, young or older. The best company in Nepal. I will soon back in Nepal and I will immediately with the Agency. You can go to the office and trink tee or coffee together and organize together the Trip to everywhere. Trust and professional makes the travel better. And the crew so nice and funny 😀❤️🙏😃

No. of Person	Price Per Person
1 person	US$2450

Lobuche East Peak Expedition 2025

How difficult is climbing to Lobuche East Peak?

How much is the permit cost for climbing Lobuche East Peak?

Highlights

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Itinerary

Day 1:your arrival in Kathmandu.

Day 2:sightseeing around Kathmandu.

Day 3:Fly to Lukla and trekking to Phakding..

Day 4:Trekking to Namche Bazaar.

Day 5:Acclimatization day in Namche bazaar.

Day 6:Trekking to Tengboche

Day 7:Trekking to Dingboche.

Day 8:Another acclimatization day in Dingboche.

Day 9:Trekking to Lobuche village.

Day 10:Trekking to Gorekshep and Detour to Everest base camp

Day 11:Hike up to Kala Patthar and descend back to Lobuche.

Day 12:Trek to Lobuche East base camp and basic climbing training.

Day 13:Ascending to Lobuche East Peak high camp

Day 14:summit day and descend back to Base camp.

Day 15:Trek Down to Tengboche.

Day 16:Trekking back to Monjo.

Day 17:Morning flight to Kathmandu.

Day 18:Your final Departure

Not happy with this regular itinerary?

Cost Details

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Useful Info

What is the best season for climbing Lobuche East Peak?

Trekking and Climbing Essentials for Lobuche East Peak Expedition

Trip Reviews

If you want to experience true, kind Nepali hospitality and a great trek, don’t look for another agency.

Eva B, Hungary

Mustang - Kagbeni, Muktinath 6-day tour

Hito, Japan

A Once-in-a-lifetime EBC Trekking Trip

Jackie Z, United States

Discover Altitude is the best!

James T, United States

Awesome 10 day EBC trekking experience

Hongtao Chen, United States

Great Service from begining to end!

dallasbc, Canada

Unforgettable experience in beautiful mountains

Martin, Czech Republic

Best of Nepal

Adrianna R, Australia

FAQs

Q1. How difficult is Lobuche East Peak climbing?

Q2. Which is the difficult mountain Lobuche East Peak or Island Peak?

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