            Home
            /
            Lobuche East Expedition Report 2022
        

Lobuche East Expedition Report 2022

This is the story of one of our Lobuche East expeditions, climbed in the Khumbu region of Nepal under clear spring skies. Our team crossed Cho La Pass, rested and acclimatized in Lobuche village, pushed up to high camp, and stood on the summit of Lobuche East as the sun came up over Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse. It's a climb that rewards patience, fitness, and good decision-making and this report walks through exactly how it unfolded.

If you're researching Lobuche East before booking your Lobuche East expedition, this report also answers the questions most climbers ask us: how hard is it, how long does it take, and what does the summit push actually feel like.

Expedition Overview

• Peak: Lobuche East, 6,119 m (20,075 ft)

• Region: Khumbu Region, Everest Region, Nepal

• Summit Date: 21 May 2022

• Starting Point: Dragnak, via Cho La Pass (5,420 m)

• Route: Standard Lobuche East route — Lobuche village to High Camp (5,270 m), then the summit ridge via the crampon point

• Guiding: Led by an IFMGA-certified mountain guide from Alpinist Climber Expeditions, supported by our climbing Sherpa staff

• Weather: Clear, cold, and stable throughout, with a fully clear night sky on summit day

Lobuche East sits close to the classic Everest Base Camp trekking trail, which is part of what makes it such a popular introduction to Himalayan peak climbing as you get glacier travel, a real alpine summit push, and some of the best mountain views in the Khumbu, all within a route that's shorter and less committing than an Everest-scale expedition.

Full Expedition Report

Dragnak to Lobuche Village via Cho La Pass

We left Dragnak early in the morning to cross Cho La Pass (5,420 m). The trail up to the pass is one of the most scenic stretches in the entire Khumbu with big mountains on every side, and Mount Cho Oyu standing out clearly in the distance.

We reached Dzongla earlier than expected, and with good energy in the team and daylight still on our side, we made the call to keep moving to Lobuche village rather than stopping early. The trail from Dzongla to Lobuche is quiet compared to the main Everest Base Camp corridor, and we had the path almost to ourselves giving us a rare kind of stillness in a region that's usually busy with trekkers.

Arriving in Lobuche village, we got our first real look at Nuptse (7,861 m), rising directly across the valley. It's a mountain that draws the eye immediately — steep, dramatic, and climbed by only a small number of mountaineers over the years.

Rest and Acclimatization in Lobuche

We spent two full days resting in Lobuche before heading up to high camp. These weren't idle days as this is when the real preparation happens. We sorted gear, checked equipment one more time, and let our bodies adjust to the altitude. There's a particular kind of anticipation that builds during rest days like these, everyone quietly aware that the technical part of the climb is now close.

Lobuche to High Camp (5,270 m)

The move up to high camp is short on paper but tough in practice. The trail follows a valley before turning into a steep, rocky, short climb right at the end. High camp itself sits in a rocky area above a small lake, which we used as our water source.

We had dinner at camp and were in our tents by around 7 p.m. — an early night, but a necessary one, with a 1 a.m. wake-up call ahead of us.

Summit Day (21 May 2022)

We were up at 1 a.m. Breakfast was simple as we had porridge and plenty of tea and by 2 a.m. we were moving. Everything outside the tent had frozen overnight, and the early sections of the route were rocky and largely free of snow, which made our journey technical before we'd even reached the crampon point.

Past the crampon point, the climbing changed character completely: sustained 45-degree slopes that demand real stamina and upper-body strength to move through efficiently. The night was clear the entire time, and as we climbed we could pick out Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Pumori, Makalu, Cholatse, and Ama Dablam standing sharp against the sky.

At 6:02 a.m., we stood on the summit of Lobuche East. It's a small summit so there wasn't room for a large group up there and on this particular morning, we were the only team on the mountain. Standing on top with clear views in every direction, entirely alone, is not something every expedition gets to experience.

After a safe summit, we began the descent back to high camp to rest, well aware that reaching the top is only half the job as we always have to think about a safe descent as well.

Challenges

• Rocky, snow-free terrain below the crampon point — technical and slow-going before the real climbing even started

• Sustained 45-degree slopes above the crampon point, demanding stamina and physical strength rather than pure technique

• Overnight freezing conditions, which affected gear, pace, and comfort during the alpine start

• Short acclimatization window between Lobuche village and the summit push, managed carefully through the two rest days

• Ongoing decision-making about pacing and timing, since a strong summit push means nothing without a controlled descent

Highlights

• A perfectly clear summit night with views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Pumori, Makalu, Cholatse, and Ama Dablam

• Reaching the summit of Lobuche East completely alone as a team, with no one else on the mountain that morning

• The 6:02 a.m. summit moment itself, arriving just as the light came up

• The first view of Nuptse from Lobuche village

• Cho Oyu dominating the skyline from Cho La Pass

• The quiet, uncrowded trail between Dzongla and Lobuche village

Safety

Safety on Lobuche East comes down to a few things done consistently well: proper acclimatization, sound route decisions, and a team that communicates clearly under pressure.

On this climb, that meant building in two rest days in Lobuche before pushing to high camp, reading the rocky, snow-free terrain carefully before the crampon point, and pacing the 45-degree summit slopes so the team still had strength in reserve for the descent. Reaching a summit is only ever half the climb as getting back down safely is what actually defines a successful expedition.

This is the same safety-first approach that runs through every expedition we run at Alpinist Climber Expeditions: IFMGA-certified guides, experienced Sherpa climbing staff, and decisions that always prioritize the team's safety over summit ambition.

Conclusion

Standing on the summit of Lobuche East at 6:02 a.m., alone on the mountain with Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam laid out in every direction, is the kind of moment that reminds you why this region draws climbers back again and again. It wasn't an easy climb with the rocky sections before the crampon point and the sustained slopes above it, but it was a controlled one.

The biggest lesson from this expedition is one worth repeating: safety and success aren't competing priorities. Done right, they're the same thing. We're grateful to the mountain, to the route, and to the team that made the climb what it was.

If Lobuche East is on your own list, we'd be glad to help you plan a safe, well-guided climb with Alpinist Climber Expeditions — explore our upcoming Lobuche East expeditions to see what's next.

Related Blogs

Expedition Journal

Manaslu 2026: A Season of Extremes — Our Full Expedition Coverage

Every climbing season on Manaslu is different. Record numbers of climbers arrived at Base Camp this autumn, hoping for a straightforward summit. What they found instead was a mountain that tested every team on it, ours included. This article looks back at the full season: how it started, what went wrong, and why we believe the outcome, difficult as it was, was the right one. A Record Season, and a Crowded Mountain Manaslu is usually one of the more approachable 8,000-meter peaks, which is exactly why it drew so many climbers this year. Nepal's Department of Tourism listed close to 500 foreign climbers this season, with a similar number of local guides and support staff on the mountain, making it a record year for permits. Once the fixed ropes reached the top, that many people converging on one route created real congestion. Climbers described long queues on the fixed ropes, especially through the crowded, icy section between Camp 1 and Camp 2, and on the narrow final ridge that leads to Manaslu's true summit, which can only hold one or two people at a time. A mountain built for small, careful teams was suddenly hosting a crowd. That combination, a narrow summit and hundreds of climbers all aiming for the same short weather window, set the stage for the difficulties that followed. Traffic Jam in Manaslu 2026 Season The Danger Builds: Avalanches on the Upper Slopes Manaslu's upper mountain is known among guides for its avalanche-prone slopes, and this season made that reputation clear early. An avalanche swept down near Camp 4 and buried a freshly fixed section of rope, just hours before the rope-fixing team planned to use it. No one was hurt in that incident, but it was an early sign of how loaded and unstable the snowpack had become. Persistent snowfall over the following days made conditions worse, not better. Layers of fresh, loose snow sat on top of older snow, creating the unstable slab conditions that guides watch for closely. Our own team, positioned on the mountain at the time, could see and feel how quickly things were changing. Heavy Snowfall in Manaslu Base Camp Tragedy on the Mountain: Two Lives Lost During this period, a slab avalanche struck a tent at Camp 3, killing a foreign climber and his guide, who had pushed higher than the rest of their team in hopes of an early summit attempt. A rescue team later found them buried under roughly two meters of snow. This loss affected the entire mountain, not just the team involved. Climbers, guides, and outfitters from every expedition, including ours, felt the weight of it. The ACE team holds the memory of these two lives in our thoughts, and we offer our condolences to their families and their expedition family. A Narrow Escape for Our Own Team During this stretch of unstable weather, one of our guide's tent was buried by snow. Luckily, he was not inside and had went outside just before the snow sturk the tent and buried it. There was no serious damage to any of our members or our climbing Sherpa guides. It was a close call, and a clear reminder of how quickly conditions on Manaslu can turn serious, even at camps that are normally considered safe. We share this not to alarm anyone, but because it is part of an honest account of this season. Every member of our team, guides and clients alike, came home safe. We are deeply grateful for that. One of our guide's tent buried by snow. (Luckily, the guide was outside the tent in that moment) Racing the Cyclone As if avalanche danger were not enough, the weather forecast added more pressure. A cyclone forming over the Bay of Bengal was tracked heading toward Nepal, expected to bring heavy new snow and force every team off the mountain before it arrived. That left teams still on Manaslu with a hard choice: wait it out for days or weeks, call off their climb and go home, or rush a summit attempt with less rest and more crowding on the ropes than anyone would prefer. This kind of pressure is exactly when accidents tend to happen. Rushed decisions, tired climbers, and a shrinking safety margin are a difficult combination on any 8,000-meter peak. Our Team's Highest Point: 7,100 Meters Our team completed two full rotations to prepare for the summit push, and once the route was fixed, we climbed to 7,100 meters, the highest point reached by any team on Manaslu this season. Reaching that height took real skill, discipline, and teamwork from our Sherpa staff and our clients. From there, the combination of unstable snow, the recent avalanche, and the approaching storm made it clear that going higher was not worth the risk. We turned back. ACE Team's Acclimatization Rotation Not Alone: How the Rest of the Mountain Responded Our decision was not made in isolation. As conditions worsened, a large number of operators on Manaslu came to the same conclusion, ending their seasons and sending their climbers home. Almost all teams on the mountain have now left. A small number remain at Base Camp, hoping for one more weather window, but current forecasts make that increasingly unlikely, and it's likely most of them will also head home before the season is out. Seeing so many experienced teams and guides reach the same decision, independently, said a lot about how serious this season's conditions really were. This was not one operator being overly cautious. It was a mountain-wide judgment call. A Message: Respect the Mountain Manaslu did not give us the summit this year. It gave us something else instead: a clear reminder of where we stand next to a mountain like this. We are not greater than nature. No amount of preparation, experience, or determination changes that. The avalanche danger, the storm, the loss of life this season, none of it cared about summit dreams or expedition budgets. The mountain simply did what mountains do, and our job was to listen. We believe real mountaineering is not only about reaching the top. It is about knowing the mountain deserves your respect more than your ambition does. This season asked a lot of every team on Manaslu, and we are proud that ours listened when it mattered most. Manaslu will still be there next year. So will we, and we'll return when conditions, and the mountain, are ready to welcome us back. About Alpinist Climber Expeditions Alpinist Climber Expeditions has run Himalayan climbs and treks in Nepal since 2021, guided by IFMGA-certified mountain guides and experienced Sherpa climbing staff. Safety has always come first in every decision we make, on Manaslu and every mountain we climb.

Sep 23, 2026 Read More →

Expedition Journal

Manaslu Expedition 2026 Ends: Why We Brought Our Team Home Safe

Our 2026 Manaslu expedition is over. We did not reach the summit this year. Every client and every staff member on our team is safe, and most of the team is already back in Kathmandu. Here is why we made that call, and what was happening on the mountain around us. Two Solid Rotations, Then a Change in the Weather Under the guidance of IFMGA guide Prakash Sherpa, our team completed two full rotations on Manaslu to prepare for the summit push. Climbers slept at the higher camps, tested their gear, and let their bodies adjust to thinner air. This is normal, careful expedition work, and our team did it well. Then the weather turned. Snow began falling and did not let up. Our guide, who has climbed on Manaslu for many seasons, described this year's pattern as something he had not seen before on this mountain. The upper slopes filled with loose, unstable snow, known as slab, and avalanche risk climbed fast. Even Base Camp itself was no longer fully clear of danger, with avalanche risk building on the slopes nearby. The forecast made the picture clearer. Starting Thursday, a band of very humid air was due to reach Manaslu, and forecasters expected between 150 and 350 millimeters of new snow, an unusually large amount for a short period. This system was expected to affect weather across Nepal, not only on this one mountain. The Highest Point We Reached After the rope-fixing team opened the route toward the summit earlier in the season, our team was the only team this season to reach 7,100 meters. Getting that far took real skill and teamwork from every Sherpa on our staff and every client on the trip. But 7,100 meters is not the summit, and pushing higher in these conditions was not a risk worth taking. Manaslu 2026 Expedition with ACE What Was Happening Across the Mountain We were not making this decision alone. According to ExplorersWeb, a mountaineering news site that has followed the 2026 Manaslu season closely, high avalanche risk led several outfitters to end their seasons this same week, with climbers and rope-fixing staff alike returning to Base Camp. Even the professional rope-fixing team responsible for maintaining the line toward the summit turned back rather than cross the loaded upper slopes. This was shaping up to be a record season on Manaslu, with permits reportedly issued to more than 500 foreign climbers and a similar number of supporting guides. A large number of operators on the mountain confirmed that they were closing their Manaslu 2026 season for the safety of everyone involved. It says something about how serious conditions had become for everybody on the mountain, not only for smaller teams like ours. Helicopters carried climbers from Base Camp down to the village of Samagaun, and on to Pokhara or Kathmandu, as teams evacuated over the following days. Our own clients and Sherpa staff followed a similar path home. Why We Didn't Wait It Out Waiting is sometimes the right choice in the mountains. This time, the numbers did not favor waiting. Forecasters were tracking a large storm system building over the Bay of Bengal, expected to reach Nepal within a day or two and bring more heavy snow, with helicopter flights likely grounded for weeks. A similar storm hit Nepal's mountains around this time last year and kept high trails closed for an extended stretch. Climbing permits for Nepal's 8,000-meter peaks are usually valid for about a month, with some room to extend by one or two weeks before the season closes at the end of November. Even with that extra time, a storm expected to last for weeks, combined with a summit route that would likely need to be refixed from scratch afterward, made a return summit push very unlikely for us this season. Good conditions on Manaslu can also close as fast as they open. In the 2025 season, 659 climbers reached the summit, but nearly all of them did so inside a single nine-day window in late September. When that kind of window does not appear, there is no shortcut around it. Waiting and hoping does not build a safe route up an 8,000-meter mountain. Not the Only Ones to Turn Back Roughly 90% of the expedition teams on Manaslu this season have now left the mountain. A small number of teams are still at Base Camp, hoping conditions might improve enough for one more attempt, but the chances of a safe weather window opening again this season are low. Safety Is Not Just a Slogan for Us At Alpinist Climber Expeditions, we say that safety comes first, but we would rather show it than just say it. Reaching the summit is the goal every climber trains for, and it was ours too. But it has never been the only measure of success we hold ourselves to. Success, for us, also means making the right call when conditions turn dangerous, and bringing every client and every staff member home safely. Manaslu 2026 Expedition ACE Team We are proud of the effort, patience, and teamwork our clients and our Sherpa team showed this season, from the trek in, through two demanding rotations, to the decision to turn back. This is what real mountain guiding looks like, on the easy days and the hard ones. In the mountains, there is one thing every guide eventually learns to respect: nature decides, not us. Manaslu will still be there next year, and so will we. About Our Guide and Team This expedition was led by Prakash Sherpa, an IFMGA-certified mountain guide, working alongside our full team of experienced Sherpa climbers. IFMGA certification is the highest standard in mountain guiding worldwide. It means our lead guide has trained not only in climbing, but in weather judgment, rope systems, rescue skills, and expedition leadership. That training matters most in exactly this kind of moment, when the safe choice and the popular choice are not the same thing. Alpinist Climber Expeditions Since 2021 We have run Himalayan climbs and treks in Nepal since 2021. Every expedition we lead is guided by experienced Sherpa climbing guides, with the same safety-first approach behind every decision, on Manaslu and on every mountain we climb. What Comes Next We are preparing a follow-up article that looks more closely at what happened on Manaslu this season, the conditions our team and others faced, and why every climbing team should respect the mountain's limits. Watch this space for that update. If you are planning a future Himalayan expedition, our team would be glad to help you plan a climb built around the same safety-first approach you have read about here. FAQs Why was the Manaslu 2026 season called off? Heavy snow loaded the upper slopes with unstable slab, and several of Nepal's largest operators ended their seasons the same week. A forecast cyclone threatened weeks of further snow and grounded helicopters, so Alpinist Climber Expeditions brought its full team home rather than push higher. How high did Alpinist Climber Expeditions reach on Manaslu in 2026? After completing two rotations, our team reached 7,100 meters, the highest point of any team on Manaslu this season, before turning back due to avalanche danger and incoming heavy snow. Safety, not the summit, guided the final decision. Why did Alpinist Climber Expeditions end the Manaslu 2026 climb? Heavy, unstable snow on the upper mountain created high avalanche danger, and a big storm was forecast to bring more snow for weeks. We chose to bring our team home rather than wait for conditions that might not improve this season. Did the team reach the summit of Manaslu in 2026? No. The team reached 7,100 meters, the highest point of any team this season, but turned back before the final push for safety reasons. Was anyone hurt on our expedition? No. Every client and every staff member returned to Kathmandu safely. One of our tents was buried by snow but none of our team members were hurt. Were other teams also leaving Manaslu this week? Yes. Around 90% of teams on the mountain had left or were leaving, including some of Nepal's largest operators. Why didn't the team wait a few more weeks for the weather to clear? A large storm system was forecast to reach Nepal within a day or two and was expected to ground helicopters and block trails for an extended stretch. Even with extended permits, a safe summit window this season became very unlikely. Who guided this expedition? The Manaslu 2026 Expedition organized by ACE was led by Prakash Sherpa, an IFMGA-certified mountain guide, together with our full Sherpa climbing team.

Sep 23, 2026 Read More →

Expedition Journal

Manaslu Expedition 2026 Update: Summit Push Plan and Weather at Base Camp

Heavy snow has covered Manaslu Base Camp. Our team has finished its acclimatization rotation and is preparing for the summit push. But on an 8,000-meter mountain, the weather makes the final call. Alpinist Climber Expeditions is on Manaslu (8,163 m) in Nepal, led by IFMGA guide Prakash Sherpa. This page shows where the team is and what the summit push plan looks like. We will update it as things change. Heavy Snowfall in Manaslu Base Camp Expedition Overview Mountain Manaslu, 8,163 m, the 8th highest mountain in the world Location Gorkha District, Nepal (Manaslu Conservation Area) Season Autumn 2026 Guide Prakash Sherpa, IFMGA Certified Mountain Guide Base Camp Near Samagaun Weather now Heavy snowfall and unpredictable conditions Current status Resting at Base Camp Where the Team Is Now The team is resting at Manaslu Base Camp. Heavy snow has fallen, and the weather is hard to predict. When conditions are like this, moving up is not a good idea. We will go higher only when the weather and snow conditions allow it. The Rotation Is Complete Our climbers have finished their acclimatization rotation on the mountain. They will be waiting at base camp till the snowfall settles down and favourable conditions are met. The Summit Push Plan This is our original schedule. It may change if the weather changes. Date Plan 19th Rest at Base Camp 20th Move to Camp 2 21st Move to Camp 3 22nd Move to Camp 4. Start the summit push at 10 pm 23rd Summit day. Return to Camp 2 24th Return to Base Camp 25th Pack up at Base Camp 26th Trek to Samagaun 27th Rest day in Samagaun 28th Flight to Kathmandu Because of the snow, the team is holding at Base Camp. We will post the new dates here when the plan is set. Why Does the Summit Push Start at Night? On 8,000-meter peaks, many teams leave the last high camp at night. This lets them reach the top in the morning and come down while there is still daylight. It also helps the team avoid strong winds and clouds that often come later in the day. Why Fresh Snow Matters Heavy snowfall makes the route slower and harder to see. It can also raise avalanche risk on the slopes. Guides usually wait for the snow to settle and for a clear weather window. Waiting is not a delay in the plan. It is part of the plan. Safety Comes First • The team has completed its acclimatization rotation. • The team moves only when the guides are happy with the conditions. • Weather decisions are made together by the guide team. What Comes Next The team will be waiting at base camp for favourable conditions while resting and acclimatizing their body as safety is always the number one concern and the summit comes second. If favourable conditions are met, the team will be preparing for the summit push accordingly. About This Expedition Alpinist Climber Expeditions is a Nepal-based company that has run Himalayan expeditions since 2021. Our climbs are led by IFMGA certified guides and experienced Sherpas, with safety as our first priority. If you dream of climbing a Himalayan peak, you are welcome to explore our upcoming expeditions.

Sep 19, 2026 Read More →

Lobuche East Expedition Report 2022

Expedition Overview

Full Expedition Report