Kala Patthar
The rock above Gorak Shep where Everest finally comes into view
Kala Patthar is a rocky shoulder above Gorak Shep at about 5,545m, and it is the reason nearly every Everest trek includes a climb in the dark on its highest morning. Everest is not visible from Base Camp itself, where Nuptse and the West Shoulder stand in the way, so this is where trekkers actually see the mountain: the summit pyramid, the South Col, and the Khumbu icefall spilling down below.
The name means black rock in Nepali. It is not a peak of its own but a low outlier on the south ridge of Pumori. The climb from Gorak Shep gains around 400m and takes two hours or so, on loose ground at an altitude where that is slow work. Parties leave before dawn to be on top as the light reaches Everest first. See Everest Base Camp for the trek it belongs to.
Highlights
Sunrise view of the Everest summit pyramid
About 5,545m, the high point of most Everest treks
Two hour climb from Gorak Shep on loose rock
Practical Info
In This Destination
Solukhumbu
In the shadow of Everest, where dreams touch the sky