Kala Patthar is a mountain in the Nepalese Himalayas. It appears as a big brown bump below the impressive south face of Pumori (7,161m / 23,494ft). Many trekkers in the region of Mount Everest will attempt to summit Kala Patthar.

The main reason for climbing Kala Patthar is that it provides the most accessible point to view Mount Everest from base camp to peak (due to the structure of Mount Everest, the peak cannot be seen from the base). The views from almost anywhere on Kala Patthar of Mount Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse are truly spectacular on a sunny day.

The ascent of Kala Patthar begins at Gorakshep (5,288m), the original base camp for Mount Everest. After a brief dip to an ancient lake bed (which now contains a small lake and a helipad), the ascent makes its way up a series of steep switchbacks before leveling off somewhat as it traverses to the eastern side of the mountain. The trail then becomes steep once again until it reaches the wind-swept summit ridge. From there, a five to ten minute scramble over boulders takes you to the top, which is marked with prayer flags. The full ascent usually takes between 1.5 and 2 hours.

 

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