Chola Pass and Lobuje East Climb

Overview

Chola Pass (5,330m) is one of the most adventurous and demanding treks in the Everest region. This trip combines the pass with a Lobuje East climb for trekkers looking for a bigger challenge, taking in pristine Sherpa villages, local culture, and monasteries along the world famous Everest Base Camp trail.

The trip starts and ends at Lukla, reached by a short flight from Kathmandu. From there the route runs through Namche Bazaar to the Gokyo Valley, over Chola Pass, and on to Kala Patthar and Everest Base Camp. Crossing Chola Pass and reaching base camp also serves as acclimatization for the Lobuje Peak climb that follows.

Lobuje Peak, also spelled Lobuche, sits in the Everest region and has two distinct summits: Lobuje East (6,119m) and Lobuje West (6,145m), both requiring separate NMA climbing permits. The climb is physically demanding but technically straightforward on the snow slopes. The two summits sit on a continuous ridge with a clear gap between them. The true east summit is reached by descending into a notch and climbing steep snow and ice slopes, and it’s commonly confused with Lobuje West since most climbers only reach a subsidiary snow summit short of the true peak.

Lobuje East can also be combined with the standard Everest Base Camp trek itinerary without crossing Chola Pass, for trekkers who want to save time for other activities in Nepal.

Climbing permits for Lobuje East follow current regulations from the Nepal Mountaineering Association.

Internal Links: For the trek without the climb, see our Everest Base Camp Trek. For another peak-climbing combo, see our Island Peak Climbing trip.