Hiking to Kalapatthar viewpoint from Gorakshep on Everest Base Camp Trek is one of the highlights of the adventure. Kalapatthar, which literally translates as ‘Black Rock’, is a stunning viewpoint that stands at the elevation of 5,545 meters above sea level. Why is Kalapatthar so famous? You will get the answer in this post.
This beautiful vantage point is also the highest elevation that the trekkers reach on their walking adventure to the Everest base camp. People hike to Kalapatthar either for sunrise or for sunset.
Why is Kalapatthar so famous?
Every trekker to the Everest base camp has the hike to Kalapatthar on their itinerary. They eagerly look forward to hiking to the top of the viewpoint and witnessing something that blows their mind.
What do you think you see from Kalapatthar? You will see a never-seen-before panorama of the snow-capped, giant mountains that simply stop your breath in awe.
When you ascend the grassy slope up in the mountain, you will slowly get the view of mountain ranges, huge glaciers, and also the view of Gorakshep below. It is surely a fascinating experience hiking up just below a beautiful mountain, Mt. Pumori.
You can also see the Kalapatthar top just below the Pumori from the lower viewpoint. You can see gigantic mountains, in addition to Mt. Everest, like Pumori, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Changtse, Lingtren, and many other mountains. The view of the Khumbu glacier is also equally fascinating.
Highest Point on the Everest Base Camp Trek
Kalapatthar is not only a great vantage point but also the highest point of the entire trek. On the normal and regular itinerary, most of the trekkers have a planned hike to Kalapatthar. They normally plan to hike to Kalapatthar after trekking to the Everest Base Camp.
Hiking to the beautiful vantage point in the beautiful surroundings of the high-soaring Himalayas is an early morning activity. The effort of waking up early in the morning gets the reward of breathtaking views of the Himalayas from Kalapatthar. You will stand atop the viewpoint and enjoy the magnificent stretch of the mountains.
The highest mountain on earth, Mt. Everest, stands impressively in front of you to give you a dumbfounding joy. You will reach the highest altitude landmark of 5,545 meters above sea level when you reach there.
Watch the sunrise and sunset from the top
Although everything that you see from Kalapatthar is breathtaking, the most awesome thing about it is the sunrise and sunset. If you hike there for sunrise, you will see how the sun rays strike the top of the world along with other gigantic snowy peaks in the surroundings. Mt. Everest which stands impressively next to another beautiful mountain, Nuptse, looks in its all glory at the time of sunrise.
And if you hike there for the sunset, you will be amazed to witness the wonder of how the top of the world still gleams in light while the rest of the world is getting darker. About one and half hours of hiking up the mountain, at this elevation, is certainly worth going for. Looking at the vastness of mountains in the surroundings is like an unearthly experience.
This explanation will give you an answer to the question, ‘Why is Kalapatthar so famous?’ but going there yourself will bring you such an experience that the question will no more remain with you.
Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.
