Island Peak is a popular peak for seekers in the Himalayas to experience climbing over the 6000-meter level. The mountain peak is 6189 meters high and is located in the Everest area.
The view from the top of the Island peak and the trails and snow paths on the mountain are breathtaking. Despite its relative proximity to Everest, it is not seen from the top of the mountain but the landscape is also rewarding even without it. The beautiful Ama-Dablam mountain is clearly seen from its top.
Important to mention that although you can climb Island peak without previous technical experience, it is not a walk in the park and requires altitude acclimatizing, good fitness, having sufficient practice before the climb itself and having a certified guide. If the unexpected will happen, and it will, it can be crucial for your survival and inexperience certified guide when climber doesn’t have enough practical background can be fatal.
In this journey, our Himalayan mountains guide was Mr. Jyamchang Bhote, 7 times Everest summiteer and International certified mountain guide from High Himalayan expeditions.
Climbing Island peak requires basic technical skills with earlier practice, courage, Altitude acclimatizing, using climbing boots and crampons, an ice ax, crossing ladders over ice crevasses, abseiling and friction equipment in order to reach the summit.
Arrival Island peak base camp takes several days of a trek and altitude acclimatization and depends on the chosen route in the Khumbu region. starting from Lukla’s village airport which lies at 2860 meters, passing through the village of Namche Bazaar at height of 3440-meters and up to the lodges village of Chukung at height of 4730 meters.
Trek days in the Everest region are an inseparable part of the climbing. Make sure your body adapts well to the lack of oxygen for your travel safety. Refer to the altitude sickness article for further data regarding altitude sickness and acclimatizing.
The journey from Lukla to Chukung normally takes 5~6 days if going directly to Chukung, and depends on your physical condition, health and altitude acclimatization.
Sometimes staying at the lodge can be longer than expected due to weather conditions.
during this time you can rest, practice, better acclimatize and just enjoying peaceful Himalayan moments.
leaving the lodge at Chukung in the morning after breakfast and wishing lucks and goodbyes enjoying the sun that is welcoming us after a couple of days of delays due to the bad weather.
Island Peak Base Camp is usually accessed through Chukung Point and it takes about three hours at a relatively fast pace.
Tents are ready within minutes, equipment unpacked and kitchen tools are waiting for the snow to be boiled for cooking. while hiking to the base camp, the relatively pleasant weather changes and snow begins to fall. So far the wind blow is moderate so there are no special problems. Making soup and rice with vegetables for late lunch and soup and potato stew for early dinner.
Now it is the time to finish meals preparations, organizing your backpack for climbing while leaving in base-camp the unnecessary items. Water and a camera are pushing into the sleeping bag so that they will not freeze and warm up during our rest for the night at the summit.
Sleep time at 7 pm allowing the body to rest before the big long night. Waking up at 1 am, setting the stove for night tea and Muesli from a Swiss bag that is good for years ahead.
Getting ready for the climb, clothes, 2 sets of gloves, light jacket, heavy jacket on top, climbing boots, thermal heat pads, headlight, trekking poles. All set.
Inside the jacket, there are hidden chocolate bars. The climb will surely demand this.
The night is totally dark, walking is not easy and climbing slowly from the base camp at a height of 5000 meters. The path becomes a steeper climb, between the rocks, slowly accumulating altitude, 5100 meters, 5200 … 5300 and heavy breathing.
With your hands pushing your body against the rocks, few steps forward and stopping to regulate your breathing.
The sun begins to pop out in the sky and fastly shiny calm morning warms the body and ease the pain of frozen fingers.
As we are reaching higher and higher altitude the body is heavier and slower and time is a key factor for successful summiting.
climbers should reach the summit by noon and get off before the weather changes like it usually does here.
At some point, the snowing becomes a walking on ice and there’s a need for the climbing harness and boots snow crampons for a better grip.
At a certain point, you have to leave some of the less necessary equipment to make the summit attempt easier. Each pound can be significant some backup equipment like extra jacket or headlamps can be left behind.
Now the fun part begins and in order to progress one should cross lying ladders. the first one is a single lying ladder while the second one is actually two ladders hooked and secured together. heartbeats at extreme levels and luckily the weather is peaceful so it is up to you how crossing the ladders will look like.
at this point, you are so thankful for the training done a few days ago in the Khumbu icefall of the mighty Everest.
As there are season-to-season changes in the snow and terrain, the location and length of the ladders to cross should be updated each season start.
After another walk in the snow, we find a spectacular mountain section before us, whose mountain is named after him. An island of snow, flat, stunningly beautiful, followed by a jagged ice ridge that must be climbed in order to reach the last part before the summit.
The climb on the jagged ridge is longer than the eye tends to tell you and requires considerable physical effort.
After about two hours of climbing on the ice ridge with crampons and ice ax, ascender device, and ropes. When the body is tired but you are just a touch from the top, you should concentrate in your breathing, in putting the caliper over the fixed rope and make a step by step.
And you reached your summit!
The view is spectacular! The sky is blue, the air is thin, and the chocolate bars are so tasty.
After such a long night and a big effort you refuse to leave the summit so quickly but its about time, you are behind schedule and the window of good weather is about to close. The sky is graying fast.
In order to get off the top, you have to go through the jagged ice ridge again, and although it is now progressing down the ice, the task is not easy.
The weather quickly changes into a storm.
Down the ice ridge, we find an Austrian tourist, named Bianca, lying on the ice, her body is twitching, having hypothermia. Staying on the snow and waiting for the rescue is out of the question and we are preparing to rescue Bianca down the mountain while we are tied together with our ropes. We put another coat over Bianca and giving chocolate while forcing her to move a bit to get the body heater.
Tied together, we begin to move downwards as the snowstorm becomes stronger.
One of the most frightening experiences of this climbing day was crossing the ice ladders. Now when we are hooked by the rope to each other, and during the storm.
It takes an additional couple of hours and finally we are back to base camp!
Only now the rescue chopper that was called to action by early descending climber can be seen in the sky. Fortunately, his services are not required.
After tea and some food at base camp, it is time to pack everything and to head back from Island peak base camp to the hostel.
The sun is down, the snow is back falling over us and the feeling was so amazing, being back and accomplishing this amazing beautiful challenge of Island peak climbing. Himalaya at its best.
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