30 Apr 2020 Prakash Devkota
Island Peak ascending is a wonderful journey in Nepal’s Himalayas. This is developed physically active trekkers with little to no mountainous adventure expertise.
Island Peak is also known as Imja Tse (6189m). It is quite popular among new climbers because it prepares them for higher peaks. It is also one of the highest climbing peaks around the Everest region. You may think of climbing Island Peak without a guide but that’s not quite possible.
In the journey of climbing Island Peak, you will see a spectacular and heavily glaciated West Face rising from the glacier of Lhotse.
We will provide you with one guide for 2-3 climbers according to the experience of the climbers. You will be given proper training and illustrating climbing techniques using climbing gear in the base camp itself.
Island Peak is not a challenging endeavor for a novice mountaineer who wishes to join the magnificent mountaineering in Nepal.
Though it is ‘trekking peaks’, it requires little or no technical element, Island Peak is not a challenging endeavor for a novice mountaineer who wishes to join the magnificent mountaineering in Nepal.
Why should you hire a guide?
Hiring a guide is an important part of climbing any mountain, it helps you to learn some new skills or discover a new area, whether it’s hiking, biking, skiing or climbing.
Climbing is a fairly technical activity and we strongly encourage you to employ a guide to learn the work through ropes.
When you start climbing, tagging together with a group of seasoned individuals is really appealing. Usually what occurs is that they demonstrate you a few things.
The Guide will teach and give his/her full attention to you, as you proceed to climb while Island Peak Climbing. They will help and teach you regarding the use of rope and other climbing gear.
Guides are really essential because, at the altitude above 6000m, there is nothing like safety and constant weather, and temperature changes rapidly.
With a good guide, you get the talent and collective experience of many years. They have attended many classes, passed various exams, read, and experienced different conditions practically.
Safety should be the first priority for anyone including yourself. Your guide will ensure the physical and mental safety of yours throughout the climb.
With their skills and knowledge, they will handle all the crisis situations up in the mountain if there is any. They are also equipped with medical training and kits.
Island Peak difficulties
Mountain climbing is not really an easy job and comes with several difficulties. But the seasoned climber can find it less challenging compared to a beginner.
You would be going into this ascent to a height of 6189 m. And you should consider the risks when ascending up to a higher altitude you might encounter.
For many people, altitude mountain sickness has also been a big concern when moving to a higher altitude.
Altitude sickness contributes to the detrimental effect of oxygen deprivation at high elevations on the body.
Several climbers do not tell their guide about these symptoms (dizziness, vomiting, nausea, difficulty in breathing, etc). They’re terrified by the possibility of being sent down and never being able to keep their climb.
Climbing Island peak involves both technical and athletic practice which helps to ensure that you maintain your health properly. As you plan to start this journey, make sure you understand the good technical assistance preparation.
For others, the Roping portion can be challenging even after the preparation. You may not trust the link that you’ve made to the chain. If you have any doubt the guide will be there to help. They’ll support you on every stage.
It can also be fun to reach the top but you must be more vigilant with the rope when you’re making the descent. Steadily travel, and do not rush.
As you climb towards the higher altitude the temperature can be up to -20 degrees Celcius that can cause you the frostbite.
Frostbite can create a hurdle for you to climb and is caused by long periods of exposing the skin in ice. It triggers the freezing of the skin and internal tissues.
Frostbite occurs mostly in toes, fingers, nose, ears, and so on. This can even develop when your body is protected with clothes.
Here are some frostbite symptoms, Numbness, stiffness of muscles and joints, tingling feeling, etc.
Throughout the peaks, the weather can not be anticipated. Temperatures vary from 30 degrees to -15 degrees depending on the time you are traveling.
It may be freezing early morning and evenings but it appears to get hotter as the sun is up. It’s getting colder than normal during bitterly cold and gloomy weather.
Outline itinerary
Day 1: Land at Tribhuvan airport and move towards the Hotel.
Day 2: Kathmandu city sightseeing and shopping. (Option)
Day 3: Flight to Lukla (2840m) and trek to Phakding (2610m).
Day 4: Trek to Namche Bazaar (3480m).
Day 5: Acclimatization day at Namche Bazaar.
Day 6: Trek to Tengboche (3867m).
Day 7: Trek to Pheriche (4240m).
Day 8: Trek to Lobuche (4930m).
Day 9: Trek to Gorakshep (5184m).
Day 10: Trek to Dingboche (4360m).
Day 11: Trek to Chukhung (4750m).
Day 12: Climb up to the Base Camp of Island Peak (5150m) and Climb basic tanning with a guide. Overnight
Day 13: Summit the Island peak (6173m) and trek back to Island peak base camp overnight.
Day 14: Trek to Tengboche (3950m).
Day 15: Trek to Manjo (2800m).
Day 16: Trek to Lukla (2800m).
Day 17: Fly to Kathmandu.
Day 18: Leisure day.
Day 19: Final departure.
Training for climbing Island Peak
1. Strength building
Mountaineering requires no weightlifting expertise but requires a fair amount of muscle. However, you’re not just pushing your body up into the mountains, you’re actually carrying a big backpack and your body needs that extra support to be able to travel upwards.
Weight training is a great starting point if you aren’t fit yet, with movements like pull-ups, pushups, dips, lunges, and squats.
When your body is confident with these workouts, it’s time to introduce more additional weight for your back, through a weighted jacket or a loaded belt.
Additionally, stepping to the gym for a certain basic strength training will give the body the power it requires to get up and down that mountain.
Such recommended mountain climbing resistance training workouts are bench press, deadlifts, power cleansers, front squats, and military raises.
Although weight training alone will not fully transform into force on the peak, so trying to emulate certain proper-world conditions is also a must.
Exercising in your mountaineering clothes, boots, and equipment on, including the packed bag, will help carry your power to the mountains from the plains.
2. Increasing Stamina
Many of us won’t ‘bag a peak’ within an hour or more, so stamina increasing is a big element of mountain scaling training. The main skill for climbers is being able to maintain ongoing and warm for hours upon hours.
Any fitness plan for mountaineering should include both the anaerobic endurance and aerobic endurance exercise, which will require both steady activity and strong-intensity strength training.
Few approaches that are readily available to improve aerobic endurance may involve hiking, long cycling, etc.
To improve anaerobic fitness, daily rounds of interval training, including Fartlek or intensity interval training (HIIT) should be included in the exercise routines.
As you all know that climbing mountains means moving your body and part of your body to different directions, especially upward direction thus, activities like stair climbing with your backpack and hiking to the steep landscape are good for the upper as well as lower body parts.
3. Training for altitude
Apart from the associated risk factors, climbing peaks aren’t like all the other extreme sports. Yes, the physical criteria are very equivalent to many other sports (like strength and stamina), and as higher you go, the tougher the body will have to deal with mountaineering.
Your way of training somehow should involve the practice that can improve your altitude performance. Therefore, it is necessary to actually practice at height, which might not be a simple choice.
Additionally, it may take a couple of days for a body to acclimatize to the high elevation, and it’s not enough just to run for the mountains and begin practice.
Packing list for climbing Island Peak
Clothing
- Quick-dry Tee
- Trekking Pants
- Rainproof Windbreaker
- Down Jacket
- Underwears
- Cap
- Sunglasses
Footwear
- Trekking Shoes
- Flip-Flops
- Additional pairs of socks
Medical supplies
- Medicines for Altitude sickness (Diamox)
- Dettol Wipes
- Basic First Aid ( Sterile Gauze Pads, Bandages, Alcohol Swipes, Charcoal pills)
- Moisturizing Creams or Powders
- Antibiotics to prevent bacterial infection
Miscellaneous
- Water Bottle
- GoPro and Camera
- Map
- Power Banks and extra battery
- Flashlights
- Universal Adapters
- Toilet Roll
- Sunscreen
- Extra Memory Card
- Whistles
- Trekking poles
Conclusion
If you’re an inexperienced mountain climber, climbing Island Peak without a guide is fairly impossible technically and as per the rules. As the gear and trails will be fully new, the ascent can be exciting.
But the ascend should be simple for an accomplished mountain alpinist. Hitting the sledding hill is going to be a challenge for both though.
Ultimately, with adequate preparation and commitment, you’ll be able to hit the top. If you try the climb you must be mentally and physically healthy.
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Prakash Devkota
Managing Director and Team Leader
Mr. Prakash Chandra Devkota is an established name in the Tourism Sector in Nepal. He is a focused individual gifted with a brilliant mind. He is also hugely dedicated to social work. Born in the Gorkha district, a beautiful hilly region of Nepal, he first entered the tourism industry as a guide in 1997. He has gained extensive experience in almost all the trekking and climbing routes like Mera, Island, Lobuche and, Ama Dablam, etc.
He registered Nepal Guides Treks & Expedition in 2009 AD. Due to his passion for adventure and efforts to provide quality personalized service to his clients, he has established himself as a successful tourism entrepreneur. He has dedicated most of his time working diligently to elevate the tourism industry and collected more than 15 years of experience in organizing trekking and expeditions in Nepal, Bhutan, and India. He believes in the power of the tourism industry and the employment opportunities that can be created through it. He constantly looks for innovative ways to run the company.
Mr. Devkota has always been an avid practitioner of eco-friendly tourism and has always promoted environmental conservation throughout his career. He motivates his staff to embrace eco-friendly tourism through responsible tourism practices. He believes promoting eco-tourism will preserve natural resources and positively impact the environment.
