The second part of our trip heads up the Dudh Koshi Valley, crowned by the 8153-meter peak of Cho Oyu and its companion peak Gyanchung Kang. Gokyo vs. Kala Pattar is a favourite argument: those who have visited both seem to rate Gokyo slightly higher. Despite this, it gets fewer trekkers; the lure of Everest Base Camp is too strong.

Take the trail on the valley's west side. Head through small summer herding settlements to skirt the giant Ngozumpa Glacier and arrive at a series of small lakes. Gokyo (4,750 meters) is a tiny herding settlement by the third lake and has several lodges. Climb the 5,483-meter peak to the north-west (also dubbed Kala Pathar) for views of Cho Oyu, Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu, plus a host of smaller peaks. Several more lakes and Cho Oyu Base Camp lie north up the glacier.