Everest Region
Trekking in Nepal
Everest, the World's highest mountain, rises in the eastern part of Nepal, in the Solu-Khumbu region, an area inhabited by the famous Sherpa people into the Everest National Park, with an area of 1,148 square kilometres with an average elevation ranging 2,845 to 8,848, the summit of Mount Everest. The name of the district Solukhumbu comes after Solu, the lower part from Monjo, and Khumbu, the upper part from Monjo. The northern part of Everest, dividing from its summit, falls into Tibet and protected under the Qomolangma National Nature Reserve. The Everest National Park is bordered with Makalu Barun National Park, a remote and wild stretch of mountain peaks and deep and densely forested valleys, to the east and Gaurishanker National Park to the west, into the Rolwaling valley, a well-protected microcosm of cultures and ecology. The central park area is the ancient settlement area of Sherpa people and remained undisturbed by outsiders and even by the central government for centuries. Tourists entered in 1960, and the National park was established in 1976 and became the first national park of Nepal in 1979. Into this national park, there are various established trekking routes, and one can optionally take a scenic walk of a less than a week to 3 weeks. The significant passes that cross from one valley to another through some of its panoramas filed hill saddles are Renjo La, Cho La, Kongma La and are also known as the three passes of Everest Region.
Most of the villages into the Everest National Park are the primitive settlements of Sherpa people. The history relates far to pre-Buddhist time in China and Tibet. It prospers following the development of Tibetan Buddhism in Tibet in the early 8th century. The Sherpas are followers of Mahayana Buddhism and one of the leading followers of Guru Rinpoche (Guru Padma Samvaba), the 8th-century Buddhist saint and founder of the Tibetan Buddhism in Tibet.
The trail leading to the north of Thame, crossing over the World famous Nangpa-La pass, is the main pass from which the Sherpas migrated in the current domain from their ancestral land at Kham, one of the most prominent regions in Tibet around eight hundred years ago. They discovered Solu Khumbu while seeking a refuge to escape war and religious persecution. Since then they continued to live in the region in peace and harmony. Their living, Buddhist practise, and the beautiful mountains attracted many spiritual travellers, trekkers and mountaineers, and it continues. The famous trans-Himalayan trail via Nangpa-La linked cultural and trans-Himalayan business, between Nepal and Tibet, for centuries and believed being in use since and far before the migration of the Sherpas. The Sherpas first settled themselves in the current Junbeshi, in Solu, area, and later dispersed in various parts of Solu, Khumbu, Makalu, Kanchenjunga, Rolwaling, Hyelambu, Sikkim and Bhutan.
The southern part of the district, Solu, is much less frequented by tourists, and consequently has retained much more traditional characteristics. The Peekye trek and the Dudh Kunda trek are two of the most beautiful destinations. The Peekye Trek is one of the most beautiful and easily accessible with options of taking a scenic walk of less than a week to two weeks.
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