Cho La Pass: crossing direction, route and planning checks
Cho La links Dzongla on the Base Camp side with Tragnag on the Gokyo side. Understand the glacier sections, direction-specific terrain and alternatives before committing to a crossing.
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Where Cho La fits between the two valleys
Cho La is the high-pass connection between Dzongla on the upper Khumbu/Base Camp side and Tragnag, also written Dragnag, on the Gokyo side. It is not the ascent of Gokyo Ri and it is not part of the standard out-and-back Base Camp route. Adventure Consultants gives the pass elevation as 5,420 metres in its 2026 trip notes.
There are two distinct glacier sections to recognise in a combined route: the Ngozumpa crossing between Gokyo and Tragnag, and the glaciated terrain at Cho La itself. Reaching Tragnag from Gokyo does not mean you have crossed the pass. Reaching Dzongla from Lobuche does not mean you have reached Gokyo.
Adventure Consultants: 2026 Gokyo Extension trip notesGokyo to Base Camp: Tragnag to Dzongla
In Kandoo’s Gokyo-first programme, trekkers cross the Ngozumpa Glacier to Tragnag before the pass day. Its Cho La description then follows the valley, a ridge and old moraine before a rocky scramble towards the pass; the descent towards Dzongla crosses a small glacier. The next connection from Dzongla joins the main Everest trail towards Lobuche.
Kandoo’s narrative mentions ropes assisting the ascent. That is an operator’s route description, not proof that fixed assistance is present, maintained or appropriate on your departure date. Likewise, its description of the glacier as straightforward is not a current condition report. A dated, route-specific assessment must determine whether to proceed and what equipment and skills are required.
Kandoo Adventures: Gokyo Lakes and EBC route and inclusionsBase Camp to Gokyo: Dzongla to Dragnag
Adventure Consultants describes an approach from the Base Camp side to Dzongla, then a crossing of Cho La followed by a steep descent into boulder fields and onward to Dragnag. The Ngozumpa crossing to Gokyo follows separately. Reversing the route swaps which terrain you climb and descend; it does not remove the glacier or the pass.
The operator’s Gokyo Extension notes allocate ten hours to the Dzongla–Dragnag crossing. Its Three Passes notes allocate nine hours to the same direction; Kandoo gives seven to eight hours for its reverse-direction pass day. These are planning estimates from different programmes, not a speed comparison or evidence that one direction is easier. Budget for a long mountain day rather than using the shortest published estimate as your target.
Adventure Consultants: 2026 Gokyo Extension trip notesThe crossing decision needs more than a season label
A spring or autumn departure label cannot establish whether Cho La is passable that morning. FCDO lists sudden storms, avalanches, snow drifts, rockfalls and glacial crevasses among Nepal’s mountain hazards. A forecast and recent local route information need to be considered together; an old GPS line or an operator’s sales calendar cannot supply either.
Before leaving the staging settlement, your guide’s assessment should resolve the condition of the snow and ice, visibility, the route across the glaciated sections, suitable equipment and a viable retreat. This page does not prescribe crampons, ropes or an equipment-free crossing: requirements depend on the actual conditions and the guided party. Do not treat a trek’s non-technical marketing label as assurance that ordinary walking equipment will always be enough.
FCDO: Nepal trekking hazards, mountain flights and insuranceIf the party turns back or the pass is ruled out
From the Gokyo side, a return down the Gokyo valley avoids using Cho La as the connection to Base Camp. From the Dzongla side, the main Base Camp valley remains the relevant alternative route network, subject to its own current conditions. Reaching the other valley without the pass means a longer lower-valley connection, not simply choosing another nearby high pass.
Choose the trip’s priority before departure: lakes, Base Camp, or completing the full circuit. Agree how the guide can change the route, where the party would stay, who pays for additional nights and when the remaining objective must be dropped to protect the return journey. An alternative shown on a map is not proof it fits the available days.
Adventure Consultants: 2026 Gokyo Extension trip notesInsurance and the scope of this guide
Give the insurer the complete route, including Cho La, any Gokyo Ri or Kala Patthar visit, the stated maximum elevation and any activities beyond ordinary trekking. FCDO advises cover for mountain rescue and helicopter costs. Written cover and emergency contact arrangements matter; the existence of a helicopter service is not a guarantee that weather, aircraft availability or payment approval will allow evacuation.
This is a direction and route-planning guide, not live clearance for the pass, a navigation track, medical advice or a fitness test. No overnight ascent schedule is approved here. The operator sources establish their named route descriptions and estimates; they do not establish today’s snow conditions or your suitability.
FCDO: Nepal trekking hazards, mountain flights and insurance