Nepal Pikey Peak Charity trek for The Glacier Trust

This is a lovely trek through the lower foothills of the Khumbu region, starting with an exciting jeep ride across country from Kathmandu to Dhap. We then enjoy the wonderful diversity of jungle and terraced farmland, as we trek to a highpoint at the popular viewpoint of Pikey Peak at 4065m. On clear days you get the most incredible views of the high mountains of the Himalaya to the north from the summit of Pikey Peak. We then trek down to the town of Junbesi and visit the wonderful Thubtencholing monastery before going off the beaten path to reach the villages of  Deusa and Waku.

Deusa and Waku are special places. The UK-based Glacier Trust have been working here with Nepali NGOs to help the people of the Solukhumbu adapt to climate change. Their traditional crops are becoming harder to grow due to unseasonably high temperatures, heavy rain, hailstorms, and drought. Landslides are becoming more common here, and new-to-the-area insect pests and parasitic plants are becoming more common. All of this is due to climate change. The mountain people of the Solukhumbu are seeing their lives changing, and none of it is of their doing. Rather than dwelling on what has been, The Glacier Trust are focusing on adapting to the new environment. Working with the Nepali NGO Eco Himal they are now close to achieving a financially self-sufficient Agro Forestry Resource Centre.

This needs funding. First, have a look at the pages on The Glacier Trust's website about their work here and in other parts of Nepal. Then think about what you might be able to do to help. One thing the team at Graham Uney Mountaineering have realised that they can do is to help raise awareness of the issues of the farmer in these mountain regions of Nepal, but also to offer a charity trek to raise money for The Glacier Trust.

Charity treks often just focus on taking huge numbers of people to the obvious Instagram places. Sometimes it's not obvious just how much of the money raised is actually going to the charity, and how much the organising company is making. For our Charity treks we're committed to being as open and honest about this as we can be, and we want the people of Nepal to benefit as much as possible. To that end, we've decided to offer this charity trek with a clear pricing structure so that you know where your money is going. We've detailed this here:

What you pay for your trek: £1600 per person (land only fee)

What you must pay in addition to this, directly to The Glacier Trust: £1000

Your trek costs break down as:

Payment to Sherpa Khumbiyila Adventures, our Sherpa agent in Nepal - £1188 per person. This pays for your airport pick-up, your hotel accommodation in Kathmandu, jeep transfers to and from the trek, and full board lodging during the trek. It also pays the wages for our Sherpa guides, and the porter crew who will carry your baggage throughout the trek. This ensures that every single person who helps to make your trek a success gets paid a fair wage (this is of course our policy on all of our treks, not just our charity treks!).

Payment to Graham Uney Mountaineering - £412. For these charity treks we have decided that our UK guide will not take a wage for leading the trek. In reality that means that Graham himself will be leading, as we don't want to ask our freelance UK guides to work for nothing. This is Graham's choice. If any of our freelance UK guides decide to offer the same, that's great, but we're certainly not expecting our people to work for nothing. Regardless of who our UK guide is, your £412 is a contribution to their airfares, their insurance for the trek, and the fee that we pay Sherpa Khumbiyila Adventures for our guide (yes, we know that some organisations offer a free place for a UK guide. That's fine, but that doesn't help the people of Nepal, it just exploits them - we always pay for the services offered to our UK guides, and we don't expect our Nepali partners to foot the bill).

Payment to The Glacier Trust - £1000. This is your commitment to joining this fabulous trek. You promise that you will raise via fundraising, or out of your own pocket if you wish, £1000 for the work of The Glacier Trust. This must be paid to The Glacier Trust directly, in full not later than 4 weeks prior to the start of your trek.

Outline Itinerary:

Day 1. Arrive in Kathmandu. You'll be met at the airport and transferred to our hotel in the Thamel area of Kathmandu. Depending on your flight arrival time, there may be time to explore the city. In the evening we'll gather as a group at the hotel. You'll meet your UK guides, and also your Sherpa guides who'll be with you for the rest of your trip. There'll be time to answer questions, and we'll advise you about packing for the jeep trip to Dhap, etc.

Day 2. Kathmandu. As some flights may not arrive until late on day one, we'll have breakfast together in the hotel, then spend the day in Kathmandu. You could enjoy the exotic splendour of Kathmandu independently, or explore Thamel and the neighbouring area with your UK guide. We normally have an early dinner together, as we'll need to get an early night's sleep, ready for a very early start the next day.

Day 3. Jeep to Dhap. The roads in Nepal aren't great. It's not very far from Kathmandu to Dhap where we will start our trek, but it's a long, dusty, bump ride. Fortunately you'll be travelling across one of the most fascinating countries in the world, and there's something to see around every corner along the way. The journey time varies according to the weather and the state of the road, but it could be between 8 and 10 hours. We'll stop along the way for lunch and other breaks, and we're sure you'll enjoy the adventure of this jeep ride.

Day 4. Trek to Jhapre. This is the classic first day of any trek to Pikey Peak, and we pass through some lovely scenery as we cross the hills of the Solumhumbu to our lodge in this small village. If the weather is good we sometimes get views of the high mountains of Numbur and even Everest during this walk.

Day 5. Trek to Pikey Peak basecamp (3640m). An exciting trek today as we head higher into the hills. We walk through gorgeous pine and rhododendron forests, hoping to gain more views of Everest and the other high mountains as we go. Pikey Peak 'basecamp' is our destination, although we stay in a lodge, rather than camping.

Day 6. Pikey Peak, then trek to Junbesi. We have an early start to reach Pikey Peak's summit at 4065m. The early morning views from the summit are amazing, taking in hundreds of mountains in this eastern part of the Nepal Himalaya. We spend time enjoying the view before descending to the beautiful village of Junbesi for the night.

Day 7. Rest day. We spend the day in and around Junbesi, and make a visit to the Thubtencholing monastery.

Day 8. Trek to Ringmo. For many trekkers visiting this part of the Solukhumbu, they'll catch a jeep back to Kathmandu from Junbesi. However, we now pick up a little-frequented route, trekking through to the village of Ringmo, where we spend the night.

Day 9. Trek to Phaplu. Another day enjoying this beautiful, yet hidden part of Nepal. Not many trekkers come this way, and we'll enjoy seeing local life unfurl as we keep walking through these foothills towards Phaplu.

Day 10. Trek to Deusa and the Agro Forestry Resource Centre. We'll enjoy the trek through the forests and farmed terraces, and will be welcomed at Deusa by the team there who will be happy to show us the work they are doing here. We'll spend the night with them in Deusa.

Day 11. Our last day on the trek, following trails across country to Saleri where there is a jeep track. We spend the night in Saleri, and say goodbye to our porters here.

Day 12. Another long but fascinating drive back to Kathmandu. Once in Kathmandu we have a farewell dinner with our hosts from Sherpa Khumbiyila Adventures, then prepare ourselves for our flights home tomorrow.

Day 13. Unless you're staying on in Nepal to join one of our other treks (these charity treks are specially designed so it is possible for you to have a rest in Kathmandu, then join another of our treks - making the most of your time in Nepal), today you'll be transported to the airport for your flight home.

Pikey Peak - The Glacier Trust Charity Trek Dates:

April 6th - 20th 2025 Graham Uney as UK guide (arriving in Kathmandu on April 7th, and departing for home on April 19th, unless staying on for another trek*).

October 12th - 26th 2025 Graham Uney as UK guide (arriving in Kathmandu on October 13th, and departing for home on October 25th, unless staying on for another trek*).

Cost Per Person:

As above, you will pay £1600 for your trek (land only price) plus guarantee to raise £1000 in sponsorship for The Glacier Trust.

See below for inclusions and exclusions.

Costs Included:

• Arrival and Departure transfer as per itinerary including domestic and International flights.
• 3 Nights Hotel Majestic/Manang with breakfast on room sharing basis (2 nights before the trek and 1 night after).
• Sightseeing to Monkey Temple and Boudhanath.
• Private jeep transfer to Dhap from Kathmandu at the start of the trek, and return by private jeep from Saleri to Kathmandu at the end.
• 9 nights Lodge/Teahouse accommodation on trek on a room sharing basis.
• All three-time meals while trekking.
• Visit to The Glacier Trust's project at Deusa
• An experienced Sherpa Guide.
• An experienced UK guide (for all trips with more than four paying guests)
• Necessary assistant local guide.
• Necessary porters.
• All trekking staff wages.
• Insurance for the trekking staff.
• Trekking permit
• First Aid Kit
• SKA T-Shirt and Duffel bag for use during the trek.
• Farewell Dinner.

Costs Not Included:

• International Airfare.
• Nepal visa fee. Can be obtained at the Kathmandu Airport upon arrival. https://nepaliport.immigration.gov.np
• Lunch & Dinner during your stay in Kathmandu.
• Additional nights at the hotel in Kathmandu.
• Personal trekking equipment - a full kit list will be sent upon booking.
• Medical insurance (high altitude coverage and emergency evacuation) and Travel insurance.
• Emergency rescue evacuation if needed.
• Bottled beverages, coffee and cake along the route, telephone calls, internet usage, and battery charging.
• Tips for the staff.

For our April 2025 trek we arrive back in Kathmandu on April 18th. Our clients who are booked on either our Renjo La and Gokyo Ri, or Highlights of the Khumbu treks will be arriving in Kathmandu on April 20th, heading out on their treks on April 22nd. Let us know if we would like to join us for another trek after your The Glacier Trust Pikey Peak trek.

For our October 2025 trek we arrive back in Kathmandu on October 24th. Our clients who are booked on either our Langtang Valley and Tsergo Ri, or Highlights of the Khumbu treks will be arriving in Kathmandu on October 26th, heading out on their treks on October 28th. Let us know if we would like to join us for another trek after your The Glacier Trust Pikey Peak trek.