Rolwaling Tashi Lapcha Pass Trek - 19 Days

Rolwaling · 19 Days

Rolwaling Tashi Lapcha Pass Trek - 19 Days

· Strenuous · Max altitude 5,755m (18,881 ft) at Tashi Lapcha Pass · Max group 2-12 people

Duration

19 Days

Max Altitude

5,755m (18,881 ft)

at Tashi Lapcha Pass

Grade

Strenuous

Lodging

Hotel / Teahouse / Tented camp

Overview

Tashi Lapcha (5,755m) is the high-altitude glacier pass that connects Rolwaling Valley with the Everest region's Thame Valley - one of Nepal's last true "mountaineering treks" requiring ropes, crampons and the full glacier travel kit. The 19-day route walks from Chetchet roadhead through the entire Rolwaling Valley, climbs to Tsho Rolpa Lake (4,580m), crosses the Trakarding and Drolambau glaciers, and tops out at the Tashi Lapcha before descending into Khumbu via Thame to Lukla.

This is not a teahouse trek. There are no lodges between Na village (4,185m) and Thame (3,800m) - the entire pass section is full camping with ropes, snow bars and crew support. Climbing skills required include confident crampon use, ability to ascend a fixed rope and basic crevasse-rescue awareness. Most operators run Tashi Lapcha as an organised expedition rather than an open trek; HHT requires a pre-trip skills check at our office or with a recognised mountaineering instructor.

Highlights

  • Cross the Tashi Lapcha Pass (5,755m) - one of Nepal's hardest commercial trekking passes
  • Walk the full Rolwaling Valley from Chetchet to Na
  • Spend time at Tsho Rolpa (4,580m) - Nepal's largest high-altitude glacial lake
  • Cross the Trakarding and Drolambau glaciers with full mountaineering kit
  • Finish in the Khumbu - descend into Thame and Namche to fly out from Lukla
  • See the back face of Gaurishankar (7,134m) and Melungtse (7,181m)
  • Visit the historic Sherpa villages of Beding, Na and Thame
  • Full kitchen and climbing-crew support throughout
  • Combination of Rolwaling and Everest regions in a single trek
  • One of the lowest-trafficked routes in Nepal - typically under 100 successful crossings per year

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrival in Kathmandu (1,300m)

🍽 None included

Airport pickup and hotel transfer.

Day 2

Kathmandu sightseeing and gear check

🍽 Breakfast

Half-day heritage tour and equipment review with the climbing Sherpa.

Day 3

Drive Kathmandu to Simigaon (2,025m) via Chetchet

⏱ 8 hours ↔ 195 km 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Long jeep transfer east, short walk to Simigaon for the night.

Day 4

Trek Simigaon to Donga (2,800m)

⏱ 5-6 hours 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Climb into rhododendron forest with first Gaurishankar views.

Day 5

Trek Donga to Beding (3,690m)

⏱ 5-6 hours 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Enter the dramatic Rolwaling gorge.

Day 6

Acclimatisation rest at Beding

🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Half-day side hike, visit Beding monastery.

Day 7

Trek Beding to Na (4,185m)

⏱ 4-5 hours 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Short climb to the highest year-round village.

Day 8

Day hike to Tsho Rolpa (4,580m) and back to Na

⏱ 6-7 hours 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Walk the lateral moraine to Nepal's largest glacial lake.

Day 9

Trek Na to Kabug (4,800m)

🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Move into the Tashi Lapcha approach valley. First camp.

Day 10

Acclimatisation and rope drills at Kabug

🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Snow-school refresher with the climbing Sherpa. Final gear check.

Day 11

Trek Kabug to Tashi Lapcha Base Camp (5,300m)

🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Climb onto the Drolambau glacier and set the pass camp.

Day 12

Cross Tashi Lapcha (5,755m) and descend to Thame side camp (4,700m)

⏱ 10-12 hours ▲ 5,755m 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The crux day. Pre-dawn rope team start, glacier traverse, fixed-rope summit ridge, photos at the pass, long technical descent.

Day 13

Weather/pass contingency day

🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Reserve day - used as buffer if Day 12 was lost to weather.

Day 14

Trek to Thame (3,800m)

⏱ 5-6 hours 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Descend into the Khumbu, first teahouse night since Na.

Day 15

Trek Thame to Namche Bazaar (3,440m)

⏱ 4-5 hours 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Walk down the Bhote Koshi valley.

Day 16

Trek Namche to Monjo (2,835m)

⏱ 3-4 hours 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Short descent below Namche.

Day 17

Trek Monjo to Lukla (2,840m)

⏱ 5-6 hours 🍽 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Final walking day to the airstrip.

Day 18

Fly Lukla to Kathmandu

🍽 Breakfast

Early STOL flight back to the capital. Celebration dinner.

Day 19

Departure

🍽 Breakfast

Airport transfer for your onward flight.

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What's included

Included

  • Airport pickups in Kathmandu
  • 3 nights twin-share 3-star Kathmandu hotel
  • Private jeep transfer Kathmandu-Chetchet
  • Lukla-Kathmandu domestic flight
  • Tented camp throughout the pass section
  • Teahouse lodging in lower Rolwaling and Khumbu sections
  • All three meals during the trek
  • Trek leader, climbing Sherpa, assistant guide, cook, kitchen team and porters
  • Gaurishankar Conservation Area Permit and Lapche Restricted Area Permit
  • Sagarmatha National Park entry permit (Khumbu side)
  • Group climbing equipment - fixed rope, snow bars, group rope, ice screws
  • Climbing gear hire (crampons, harness, helmet, ice-axe, jumar)
  • All applicable taxes
  • HHT duffel bag

Not included

  • International airfare
  • Nepal visa fee
  • Travel and high-altitude (6,000m) rescue insurance - compulsory
  • Lunches and dinners in Kathmandu
  • Bottled drinks, alcohol
  • Personal climbing kit (B2/B3 boots, expedition gloves)
  • Sleeping bag (rental available)
  • Tips for the trek and climbing crew

Trek guide

The Pass

Tashi Lapcha sits at 5,755m on the divide between the Tama Koshi (Rolwaling) and Bhote Koshi (Khumbu) watersheds. The crossing involves:

  • Drolambau glacier - heavily crevassed, requires rope and crampons
  • Tashi Lapcha summit ridge - 200m of fixed rope on snow
  • Khumbu descent - steep rocky scree to Thame side base camp
  • Total pass day: 10-12 hours from high camp to Thame camp

Why the Rolwaling Side First

Walking Rolwaling-to-Khumbu rather than reverse is the easier direction - the Drolambau glacier is climbed up rather than descended on, and the steeper Khumbu side is descended rather than climbed. Most groups go this direction.

Sherpa Villages

  • Beding (3,690m) - Rolwaling's main village, hilltop monastery, 30-40 families
  • Na (4,185m) - highest year-round settlement in Rolwaling, summer yak pastures
  • Thame (3,800m) - Khumbu Sherpa village famous for producing legendary climbers (Apa Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay's relatives)

Acclimatisation

The slow climb through Rolwaling (Simigaon - Donga - Beding - Na over 5 days) gives a good acclimatisation arc. Two scheduled rest days at Beding and Na set up the body for the pass attempt. A side hike to Yalung La above Na is used as a sleep-low-climb-high day.

Technical Requirements

Confirmed pre-trip skills:
- Crampon walking on moderate snow
- Ascending a fixed rope with a jumar
- Self-arrest with an ice-axe (basic)
- Confident with exposure
- Prior altitude experience above 5,000m

Permits

  • Gaurishankar Conservation Area Permit
  • Lapche Restricted Area Permit
  • Sagarmatha National Park entry (Khumbu side)
  • TIMS card

Best Season

  • April-May: Stable spring weather, warmer summit-day temperatures
  • September-October: Clearest visibility, drier glacier
  • Avoid winter (heavy snow, pass closed) and monsoon (poor visibility, crevasse risk)

Fitness

Strenuous. The pass day is a 10-12 hour effort with technical rope work at altitude. Capable of 7-8 hours of trekking on consecutive days, prior 5,500m+ altitude experience strongly recommended.

Packing list

Clothing: -25C down jacket, mid-weight down, fleece, soft-shell, hard-shell, 3 trekking shirts, 3 trousers, thermals (2 sets), 7 pairs socks, beanie, sun hat, balaclava, neck buff

Climbing-specific: B2 or B3 mountaineering boots (broken in), expedition mittens + liner gloves, fleece climbing gloves, gaiters, summit suit optional

Accessories: 40L daypack, 60L duffel for porter, -25C sleeping bag, trekking poles, headlamp, glacier sunglasses cat 4, ski goggles, 2L water bottles, insulated cover, hand warmers

Documents: Passport with Nepal visa, insurance with helicopter and 6,000m rescue cover, 4 passport photos

Medical: Diamox, painkillers, blister care, SPF 50+ glacier-grade, lip balm

Frequently asked questions

Can a fit trekker without climbing experience attempt Tashi Lapcha?
No. The pass requires confirmed rope, crampon and glacier travel skills. We require a pre-trip skills check.

What is the summit/pass success rate?
Around 70-80% for groups with appropriate skills in good weather. Weather is the main variable.

How crevassed is the Drolambau glacier?
Moderately - we travel on a fixed rope between climbers across the worst section. The risk is real but managed with proper protocol.

Can I reverse the direction (Khumbu to Rolwaling)?
Yes but it is harder - the steeper Khumbu side becomes the climbing-up section. Most operators do not run it that way.

What gear do I rent vs bring?
We provide all group equipment (rope, snow bars, ice screws) and rent crampons, harness, helmet, ice-axe, jumar. You bring boots, base layers, gloves and personal kit.

How does this compare to Three Passes (Khumbu)?
Tashi Lapcha is technical (rope and glacier) - Three Passes is non-technical (long days but walking only). Tashi Lapcha is harder by a clear margin.

What if I am acclimatising poorly?
We monitor everyone with pulse oximetry at Na and again at Kabug. If you cannot safely cross we descend you back to Rolwaling and refund the pass-section costs proportionally.

Is helicopter rescue available?
Yes from Beding, Na and the Khumbu side. The high camps are above effective helicopter landing altitude in many seasons.

How cold at the high camps?
-15 to -25C at night above 5,000m. A -25C bag is recommended.

Can I tack on EBC after the pass?
Yes - speak to the office for an extended itinerary that adds a Namche-EBC-Namche loop after the pass crossing.

Still have questions? Talk to a guide →

Why book this with us

Senior local guides. Small groups. Honest pricing.

  • Departures led by a guide who grew up in the region.
  • Max 8 trekkers per group — no convoys.
  • 100% Nepali-owned. Profit stays in the valleys.
  • Free cancellation up to 30 days before departure.
  • Permits, internal flights and TIMS handled by us.
  • 24/7 in-country support during your trek.

From $2195

per person

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