Dzonglha

Elevation
4,830 m
Område
Everest-Regionen
Bedste sæson
Mar–May, Oct–Nov
Stay
Two or three small lodges
Arriving at Dzonglha Dzonglha sits at about 4,830 m on a shelf of yak pasture below the Ngozumpa glacier's eastern edge. Most trekkers reach it after crossing Cho La (5,420 m) from Thagnak, and the last hour is a slow drop across boulders and old moraine before the low stone walls of the lodges appear. The air is thin here and the wind usually finds you before the buildings do. There is not much to the place: a handful of flat-roofed lodges, a stone shelter for yaks, and a wide view south towards Cholatse and Taboche. People stop because the crossing has taken a lot out of them and because the next day's climb to Lobuche (4,910 m) is short but exposed. We treat Dzonglha as a rest and preparation stop, not a sightseeing one. The dining room is where everyone sits, and the stoves burn yak dung, which smells exactly as you would expect.

Dzonglha grew as a seasonal herding settlement, used by Sherpa families from Khumbu who brought yaks up to these pastures in summer. The lodges came later, once trekkers began using the Cho La route to link Gokyo with the main Everest trail. It has never been a permanent village in the usual sense; most families live lower down and run the lodges in season.

At 4,830 m you are well above the safe sleeping gain of 500 m per day, so this stop only works if you have already acclimatised at Gokyo or Thagnak. Sleep with your head slightly raised, drink more than you feel like drinking, and tell your guide at once about a persistent headache, nausea or strange breathing at rest. We check oxygen saturation and symptoms each evening here, and we do not push on to Lobuche if someone is unwell.

From Thagnak (4,700 m) the trail climbs to Cho La at 5,420 m in about 2–3 hours, then descends steeply on loose rock and snow to Dzonglha in another 1–2 hours. From Dzonglha to Lobuche is roughly 2–3 hours on a clear path past the Cholatse base. Most groups walk this section with a guide because the pass is icy in the early morning and the route is not obvious in cloud.

Højdepunkter

  • Cross Cho La (5,420 m) from Thagnak and descend to the lodges
  • Rest day to recover from the pass before Lobuche
  • Views of Cholatse and Taboche from the pasture
  • Short walk to the moraine edge above the Ngozumpa glacier
  • Quiet night compared with the busier lodges at Lobuche

Facilities

  • Teahouses: Two or three family-run lodges, simple rooms with plywood walls and shared bedding
  • Dining room: One common room with a dung stove, the only warm place in the evening
  • Charging: Solar power only, limited and often paid per device
  • Wifi: None, and mobile signal is unreliable at this altitude
  • Toilets: Outside pit latrines, basic
  • Water: Boiled water sold by the lodges; bring purification tablets as backup

Trips that visit this place