Today is a significant milestone as you go across the Amphu Lapcha pass to Chukhung.
You start by climbing the white, rocky moraine directly behind the camp, following its crest to the left. A steep section follows, ascending in tight switchbacks until you reach a small platform. From here, there's a fantastic view plunging down into the mountain cirque where the Panch Pokhari (Five Lakes) are nestled. The trail then meanders across rocky benches, passing near a small, frozen pond. You climb further, keeping to the right over eroded red rocks. The trail isolated feels other-worldly, but the well-placed cairns guide you as you arrive beneath the large seracs that guard the final approach to the pass.
Here, you put on your crampons before hitting an imposing ice wall.
Navigating the Ice Wall
You will descend slightly to the left to find a passage—either an immediate ice run on the right or a slightly longer detour through the snow. Either solution allows you to gain the main glacial lip.
From here, you face the main climb, which involves a strenuous ascent in three sections, broken up by two steep steps. At the second step, you realize you will be nearly level with the crest. In about 10 minutes, you'll reach the highest point on the ridge from which you descend to the right toward the lowest point of the ridge. Congratulations - you've travered the Amphu Laptsa Pass.
The Amphu Laptsa Pass (5,775m)
The view plunging into the feeding basin of the Imja Glacier is nothing short of extraordinary. The mountain cirque - featuring Everest, the two Lhotse peaks, Cho Polu, and the Kali Himal ridge terminating at the foot of Baruntse - is magnificent.
The descent route on the north side begins 20 meters to the left of the lungta (prayer flag) garlands. Depending upon snow condition, you'll descent without fixing a rope if there has been no recent, heavy snowfall.
However, if snow conditions are poor or hard, a fixed rope will be installed, as the descent becomes extremely technical.
The North Side Descent
After a slightly descending portion of the trail, you face a challenging downclimb beneath a rocky outcrop: a steep, 30-meter stony gully on which a short abseil or top-rope might be used in case of ice and snow.
Upon reaching the anchor point, you traverse left (in the direction of the descent) for 50 meters before finishing with a slightly less steep direct descent to a rocky spike at 5,655m.
From this point, the proper trail reappears, descending in wide switchbacks before leveling out onto 20-degree slopes that lead to the moraine plateau at 5,300m. For this entire effort, from the pass to the plateau, it's reasonable to allow a couple of hours; moving the entire team and the porters with their dokos (carrying baskets) is a significant operation.
Traversing the Glacier Basin
You cross the plateau, with cairns on the flank of a grassy moraine guiding you onto a defined trail along a moraine crest.
The moraine crest gradually bears left without losing much altitude. You overlook this 'end-of-the-world' glacial basin, which is almost entirely enclosed by Lhotse, Khumbakarna Himal, Cho Polu, Baruntse, and Kali Himal. As you gain a dominant position over the Imja Glacier (5,135m), the peak of Cholatse appears to the west on the horizon.
In the moraine valley, you can't miss Imja Tso lake. This famous lake was known long before the predicted GLOF (Glacial Lake Outburst Flood), where its frontal moraine is at risk of bursting and sending devastating floods through lower Nepalese valleys. It is bordered to the north by Lhotse, Everest, and Nuptse.
Further downstream, beyond gray mountain chains, Lobuche, Gyachung Kang, and Cho Oyu come into view. You descend diagonally onto a meadow wedged between two moraines, where Taweche meets its companion, Cholatse, on the horizon. The rest is rocky, navigating from one moraine to the next. Further down, you'll cross a grassy moraine, still on the right bank of the valley in which a cavity has been dug, now filled by a lake. On the right side of the valley, Nuptse shows off its stature with massive hanging glaciers that rival those of its neighbor, Lhotse. You then cross a stony plain to the right bank of the moraine, in the middle of which passes the outlet of the Imja Tso, on a wooden bridge.
The path to Chukhung is not yet finished, but the scenery improves with more mountains: first, to the right, Imja Tse (Island Peak); then, to the left, Ombigaichan and its impressive glacier; and finally, the elegant Ama Dablam.
You now follow the path along the crest of a moraine, which gives you a clear view over the Imja Glacier and the houses of Chukhung village downstream. The glacier’s frontal moraine ends less than 300 meters from the first buildings. Nuptse is the dominant peak here. From the moraine, you descend, cross the river, and arrive at the Chukhung village.
