Cho Dzom-Rongpuk Monastery (3 hours)
and Everest Bas (5 hours)

After the trail merges with the road, sheer rock slopes close in around the valley. After a few minutes walk, the valley leading to the Nam-la, the southernmost route to the plains of Tingri is visible. In 20 minutes a bridge crosses over the Dza Chu, accessing the valleys to the passes. Just above the bridge, a big tributary originating from the Gyachung massif flows into the Dza Chu.

It is still about 2 1/2 hours to Rongphu and 4 l/2 hours to Everest Base Camp. Twenty minutes further is a small spring and place to camp on the left side of the road. Another 30 minutes upstream, perched in a side valley to the left of the road, are the ruins of Kyelung Hermitage. Beyond here a wide, cairn-studded pilgrim's trail splits off the road, a less dusty walking option.

A stone stupa called the Khumbu Chor-ten is 30 minutes up the trail. Forty-five minutes further and the exquisite form of Mt Everest comes into view for the first time since you surmounted the Geu-la. The trail continues to ascend for 20 minutes and then drops into a deep stream bed. East of the trail, where the stream emerges from the defile, are the crumbling walls of the re­mains of the Chu Hara Nunnery. Up from the stream, the trail meets the road and wends its way through a cluster of morainal hills reaching the Rongphu Monastery in 30 minutes. At the last bend in the road the monastery suddenly comes into view with Everest as the all-encompassing backdrop. Camping B,L,D