Yala Peak Climbing
Yala Peak (5,520 m) is the gentlest real summit in Nepal — a snow dome above Kyanjin Gompa at the head of the Langtang v
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Trip Overview
Yala Peak (5,520 m) is the gentlest real summit in Nepal — a snow dome above Kyanjin Gompa at the head of the Langtang valley, climbed on a single long day from a high camp with no technical difficulty beyond walking roped on easy glacier. It is the peak to choose when you want to stand on a Himalayan summit rather than beside one, and have never worn crampons.
The route reaches it in fifteen days from Kathmandu with no flight involved: a drive to Syabrubesi, three days up the Langtang valley through rebuilt Tamang villages and yak pasture, an acclimatisation climb of Kyanjin Ri, and then the peak. From the top the view runs across the Tibetan border to Shishapangma (8,027 m), the only 8,000 m peak entirely inside Tibet, with Langtang Lirung, Dorje Lakpa and Naya Kanga around you.
Trip Highlights
A Summit Without Experience: A 5,520 m snow peak that a fit hill walker can climb with two days of instruction and no previous mountaineering.
Shishapangma from the Top: The view north across the border to the only 8,000 m peak lying wholly in Tibet.
No Domestic Flight: A drive from Kathmandu rather than a weather-dependent mountain airstrip — the trip runs on schedule.
Kyanjin Ri (4,773 m): A 900 m acclimatisation climb with the whole valley head laid out beneath it.
The Langtang Valley: Forest gorge, yak pasture and villages rebuilt by the survivors of the 2015 earthquake.
Itinerary
A 15-day climb of Yala Peak (5,520 m) at the head of the Langtang valley, with no domestic flight and no previous mountaineering experience required.
1Day 1Arrival in Nepal – Kathmandu (1,400 m)
Arrival in Nepal – Kathmandu (1,400 m)
Welcome to Nepal. You land at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu (1,400 m), where our representative meets you in the arrivals hall and drives you to your hotel in Thamel.
Your climbing guide joins you in the afternoon. The Langtang peaks are close enough to Kathmandu that the logistics are simple, so the briefing concentrates on the climbing itself: what the summit day involves, how the fixed rope is used, and what we expect you to be able to do on it.
The rest of the day is yours to rest after the flight. Overnight in Kathmandu.
2Day 2Kathmandu (1,400 m) – Climbing Briefing, Permits and Equipment Check
Kathmandu (1,400 m) – Climbing Briefing, Permits and Equipment Check
A working day in the city. The morning goes on paperwork: the Nepal Mountaineering Association peak permit is finalised, insurance details for the crew are lodged, and your own policy is checked against the altitude you are going to.
The afternoon is the equipment inspection, which matters more than most people expect. Every item of personal climbing kit is laid out and checked — harness, crampons, ice axe, ascender, descender, helmet, carabiners and boots — and anything unsuitable is replaced or hired from the shops in Thamel.
If you have never used an ascender, your guide will run you through it here rather than on the mountain. Overnight in Kathmandu.
3Day 3Drive from Kathmandu (1,400 m) to Syabrubesi (1,460 m)
Drive from Kathmandu (1,400 m) to Syabrubesi (1,460 m)
A long day on a road that has improved a great deal and is still not good. The route climbs out of the Kathmandu valley at Kakani, drops to the Trishuli, then turns north up the Pasang Lhamu Highway toward the Tibetan border.
The last three hours run high above the Bhote Koshi on a shelf cut into the hillside, with the Ganesh Himal appearing to the west and the border ranges ahead.
Around 7 to 8 hours including stops. Syabrubesi (1,460 m) is a strip of lodges either side of a bridge, entirely rebuilt since the 2015 earthquake. Overnight in a lodge.
4Day 4Trek from Syabrubesi (1,460 m) to Lama Hotel (2,470 m)
Trek from Syabrubesi (1,460 m) to Lama Hotel (2,470 m)
The walk into the valley begins. The trail crosses the Bhote Koshi and follows the Langtang Khola east into a steep-sided gorge of oak, maple and rhododendron.
It is a forest day rather than a mountain one: the river is loud below, langur monkeys move in the canopy, and there is almost no view out until the very end.
The climb is steady rather than steep, with several river crossings on suspension bridges and a couple of tea shops on the way.
Around 6 hours to Lama Hotel (2,470 m), which is not a hotel but a handful of lodges in a clearing. Overnight in a lodge.
5Day 5Trek from Lama Hotel (2,470 m) to Langtang Village (3,430 m)
Trek from Lama Hotel (2,470 m) to Langtang Village (3,430 m)
The valley opens today. The trail climbs steadily through thinning forest to Ghoda Tabela, where the trees give out and Langtang Lirung (7,227 m) appears at the head of the valley.
From there the walking is on open pasture past yak herds, water mills and long mani walls.
You pass the site of the old Langtang village, buried in April 2015 when the earthquake brought down an ice and rock avalanche that killed most of its inhabitants. A memorial stands on the debris field, and the new village has been rebuilt just beyond it by the survivors.
Around 6 hours. Overnight in a lodge at Langtang Village.
6Day 6Trek from Langtang Village (3,430 m) to Kyanjin Gompa (3,870 m)
Trek from Langtang Village (3,430 m) to Kyanjin Gompa (3,870 m)
A short day, deliberately, because the altitude gain matters more than the distance from here on.
The trail continues up the widening valley floor past chortens, prayer walls and stone-walled yak pastures, with Langtang Lirung filling the northern skyline and the Langtang glacier moraine ahead.
Around 3 to 4 hours brings you to Kyanjin Gompa (3,870 m), a settlement of lodges around an old monastery and the Swiss-founded yak cheese factory, closed in by peaks on three sides.
The afternoon is free to rest, or to walk up the moraine toward the glacier. Overnight in a lodge at Kyanjin Gompa.
7Day 7Acclimatisation Day at Kyanjin Gompa (3,870 m) – Kyanjin Ri (4,773 m)
Acclimatisation Day at Kyanjin Gompa (3,870 m) – Kyanjin Ri (4,773 m)
An active acclimatisation day, and the one that decides how the summit goes.
The climb to Kyanjin Ri (4,773 m) starts directly behind the lodges and gains 900 m in a steep two to three hours on a good trail. There is a lower summit at around 4,300 m that many groups stop at; going to the top is better preparation.
From the prayer flags the whole valley head is laid out — Langtang Lirung, Kimshung, Langshisa Ri, the Langtang glacier, and the peak you are about to climb.
Back down for a late lunch. The afternoon is for rest, fluids and a gear check with your guide. Overnight at Kyanjin Gompa.
8Day 8Trek from Kyanjin Gompa (3,870 m) to Yala Base Camp (4,600 m)
Trek from Kyanjin Gompa (3,870 m) to Yala Base Camp (4,600 m)
A short move onto the mountain. The trail climbs north-east out of Kyanjin on yak paths, gaining height steadily across grazing shelves and moraine with the Langtang glacier below on the left.
Around 4 hours brings you to Yala base camp (4,600 m), a flat shelf where the crew has the mess tent up and tea waiting.
The afternoon is the first climbing school: your guide runs the group through fitting crampons, using an ice axe, walking in a rope team and moving on a fixed line, on a snow slope beside camp.
It is practical rather than theoretical, and by dinner everyone has worn the gear. Overnight in tents at base camp.
9Day 9Move to Yala High Camp (5,000 m) and Climbing Practice
Move to Yala High Camp (5,000 m) and Climbing Practice
A short, steep carry to high camp at 5,000 m, two to three hours up moraine and snow patches onto a shelf directly beneath the summit slope.
You arrive by late morning, which leaves the whole afternoon for a second session of instruction on the ground you will actually climb — self-arrest with the axe, ascending and descending a fixed line, and rope-team spacing.
Your guide walks the first section of the summit route so that the start is familiar in the dark.
An early dinner and an early night. The wake-up is around 2.30 a.m. Overnight in tents at high camp.
10Day 10Summit Yala Peak (5,520 m) and Descend to Kyanjin Gompa (3,870 m)
Summit Yala Peak (5,520 m) and Descend to Kyanjin Gompa (3,870 m)
Summit day. You leave high camp around 3 a.m. by headlamp, roped in teams of three, climbing the snow slope above camp at a deliberate, slow pace.
The angle stays under 35 degrees and the ground is straightforward, but at this altitude in the cold and dark it is genuine work. A short rocky step below the top is the only place hands come out of gloves.
You reach the summit of Yala Peak (5,520 m) at or shortly after sunrise. North across the border is Shishapangma (8,027 m); around you are Langtang Lirung, Langtang Ri, Dorje Lakpa, Gangchenpo and Naya Kanga.
Down to high camp, strike the tents, and continue all the way to Kyanjin Gompa. Around 10 to 12 hours in total. Overnight in a lodge.
11Day 11Reserve Day at Kyanjin Gompa (3,870 m)
Reserve Day at Kyanjin Gompa (3,870 m)
The contingency day, held in reserve for a weather-shortened summit attempt. If the mountain has already been climbed it becomes a rest day, and it is a good place to spend one.
Options include the climb to Tsergo Ri (4,984 m) for a wider view than Kyanjin Ri, a walk out along the moraine toward the Langshisa glacier, or the yak cheese factory and the monastery in the village.
Most groups do very little, which after a summit day is the correct choice.
Overnight in a lodge at Kyanjin Gompa.
12Day 12Trek from Kyanjin Gompa (3,870 m) to Lama Hotel (2,470 m)
Trek from Kyanjin Gompa (3,870 m) to Lama Hotel (2,470 m)
A long descent that retraces the walk in, covering two days of ascent in one.
The trail runs back down the open valley past Langtang village and the avalanche memorial, then drops into the forest below Ghoda Tabela.
It is hard on the knees rather than the lungs, and trekking poles earn their place. The compensation is the oxygen: after a week above 3,400 m, arriving back in the trees at 2,470 m feels like a different climate.
Around 6 hours. Overnight in a lodge at Lama Hotel.
13Day 13Trek from Lama Hotel (2,470 m) to Syabrubesi (1,460 m)
Trek from Lama Hotel (2,470 m) to Syabrubesi (1,460 m)
The last walking day, down through the gorge on the trail you came up.
The forest is at its best in the morning light, and the river crossings come in quick succession as the valley narrows.
Around 5 hours to Syabrubesi (1,460 m), where there is a hot shower, a cold beer and a bed with a proper mattress.
This is traditionally the evening the crew is paid and thanked, and the climbing Sherpas who fixed the rope on your summit day get their bonus. Overnight in a lodge at Syabrubesi.
14Day 14Drive from Syabrubesi (1,460 m) to Kathmandu (1,400 m)
Drive from Syabrubesi (1,460 m) to Kathmandu (1,400 m)
The drive back down the Pasang Lhamu Highway and over the valley rim, around 7 to 8 hours with a lunch stop.
The road runs high above the Bhote Koshi for the first stretch, then descends to the Trishuli and climbs again to Kakani, where the whole Ganesh Himal and Langtang range stands on the northern horizon — a good last look at the peak you climbed.
Transfer to your hotel in Thamel. The afternoon is free for a shower, a change of clothes and souvenir shopping, and most groups meet for a farewell dinner in the evening.
Overnight in Kathmandu.
15Day 15Departure from Nepal
Departure from Nepal
A slow morning in Kathmandu. If your flight is late in the day there is time for last shopping in Thamel, a walk around Boudhanath or Durbar Square, or simply a long breakfast.
Our representative collects you from the hotel and drives you to Tribhuvan International Airport around three hours before departure.
If you are staying on in Nepal we are happy to arrange onward travel, a Chitwan extension, a Pokhara flight or extra hotel nights — just tell us while you are still on the mountain so we can book it.
Thank you for climbing with us, and we hope to see you back on a bigger peak.
Inclusions & Exclusions
Airport transfers, private transport to and from Syabrubesi, Kathmandu hotel nights, teahouse and tented accommodation, all meals on the trip, the peak and national park permits, a licensed climbing guide, climbing Sherpas above base camp, group climbing equipment and government taxes are included, while international flights, visa, insurance, personal climbing gear, porter service, city meals, personal expenses and tips are excluded.
What's Included
Airport pickup and drop-off services in Kathmandu.
Private vehicle from Kathmandu to Syabrubesi and back at the end of the climb.
Private airport and hotel transfers in Kathmandu.
Three nights of accommodation in Kathmandu with breakfast.
Accommodation in local teahouses on the approach and the walk out.
Tented accommodation at Yala base camp and high camp, with a mess tent, kitchen tent and toilet tent.
Three meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) throughout the trip.
Nepal Mountaineering Association peak permit, Langtang National Park entry permit and required trekking registration.
Government-licensed climbing guide, with all equipment, wages and insurance.
One climbing Sherpa for every two climbers above base camp.
Group climbing equipment: fixed and main ropes, snow bars, ice screws, and anchors.
Garbage deposit paid to the Nepal Mountaineering Association.
Group map, and a comprehensive first aid kit carried by the guide.
Two days of crampon, ice axe and fixed-line instruction before the summit attempt.
A reserve day at base camp for a second summit attempt if weather closes the first.
Summit certificate issued after a successful ascent.
All government taxes, permit fees, and service charges.
What's Excluded
International flight tickets to and from Nepal.
Nepal entry visa fees.
Travel insurance covering mountaineering to the height of this peak, including emergency helicopter evacuation and repatriation.
Personal climbing equipment — harness, crampons, ice axe, ascender, descender, helmet and carabiners (available to rent as an add-on).
Personal trekking equipment and clothing, including boots and a sleeping bag.
Porter services (available at an additional cost).
Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu.
Snacks, bottled water, hot showers, Wi-Fi, charging fees, and alcoholic or soft drinks.
Personal expenses such as laundry, phone calls, and souvenirs.
Tips for the guide, climbing Sherpa, porters and support staff.
Any additional accommodation, transport, or expenses caused by weather, flight delays, an early descent, or other circumstances beyond the itinerary.
Route Map
Explore the terrain map showing the trek route.
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Altitude Profile
Pricing
Transparent per-person pricing based on group size, covering the services listed in the itinerary with no hidden charges.
Add-ons
Customize your climb with optional services such as porter support, climbing equipment rental and other personalized arrangements at an additional cost.
Best Time to Climb
March to May and October to November are the seasons. Autumn gives the most stable weather and the clearest views north into Tibet, with cold nights and firm snow on the summit slope. Spring is warmer and brings rhododendron through the forest section of the walk in, with the trade-off of more afternoon cloud.
Yala is climbable in December and February by well-equipped groups — the altitude is modest and the route is short — but the cold at high camp is serious and several Kyanjin lodges close. We avoid the monsoon entirely: the summit view is the point of this peak and from June to September it is not there.
Climbing Difficulty & Experience Needed
Yala is graded PD and is the most straightforward peak in this catalogue. The summit day is long — eight to ten hours from high camp — but the ground is a snow slope of no more than 35 degrees with a short rocky section near the top, and the crux is altitude and stamina rather than technique.
No previous mountaineering experience is required. You need to be a confident hill walker able to manage eight hours on the move at altitude, and willing to learn to use crampons, an ice axe and a fixed line, which your guide teaches at base camp the day before. Two to three months of hill walking and cardiovascular training is the right preparation.
If this would be your first Himalayan summit, our beginner's guide to peak climbing in Nepal covers the skills you need and how to judge whether you are ready.
Permits & the NMA Peak Fee
Yala Peak sits in an unusual position. It is below 5,800 m and has historically been treated as a trekking peak outside the Nepal Mountaineering Association's numbered list, which at times has meant no peak royalty at all. The rules here have changed more than once and are enforced differently from season to season.
We include the NMA peak permit in your package as the safe assumption, along with the Langtang National Park entry permit and the trekking registration. If the fee is not levied for your departure, the difference is refunded rather than kept. Your guide carries all the paperwork, and the checkposts at Dhunche and Ghoda Tabela check it on the way in.
How climbing permits are priced, including the seasonal fees, is explained in our guide to NMA peak permits and fees.
Packing List
Trekking kit plus the climbing layer. Bring waterproof trekking boots for the valley and insulated mountaineering boots for the summit day, which can be hired in Kathmandu. Add three or four base layers, a fleece, a down jacket rated to -20°C, a waterproof shell jacket and trousers, thermal leggings, a warm hat, a sun hat, liner gloves, insulated gloves, gaiters and five pairs of wool socks. A sleeping bag rated to -20°C is needed for high camp.
Personal climbing hardware — harness, crampons, ice axe, ascender, descender, helmet and locking carabiners — is available as a rental add-on and checked in Kathmandu. Also pack a 35-litre daypack, trekking poles, a headlamp with spare batteries, category 4 sunglasses and a spare pair, glacier-grade sunscreen and lip balm, an insulated flask, purification tablets or a filter, blister care and a power bank.
Our peak climbing gear list covers each item in more detail, including which to buy, hire or bring from home.
Accommodation, Food & Drinking Water
You sleep in teahouse lodges for the whole valley section — twin rooms with a bed, mattress and blankets, shared bathrooms and a heated dining room — and in tents for the two nights at Yala base camp and high camp. The Kyanjin lodges are among the better ones in Nepal for a valley this remote, several with hot showers and reliable solar power.
Three meals a day are included throughout. Lodge menus run to dal bhat, thukpa, fried rice, noodles, potatoes, pasta and eggs, and Kyanjin has the yak cheese factory, which is worth a visit and a purchase. On the mountain the cook crew prepares everything at camp. Water comes from lodge taps and melted snow above; treat it with tablets, a filter or a UV pen and carry an insulated flask because bottles freeze at high camp.
What the lodges are really like, from rooms and meals to showers and charging, is covered in our guide to teahouse trekking in Nepal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find quick answers to common questions about the Yala Peak Climbing.
1Can I climb Yala Peak with no mountaineering experience at all?
Yes, and most people on it have none. You need hill-walking fitness and a head for a long day at altitude. Crampon technique, ice axe use and moving on a fixed line are taught at base camp the day before the summit, which is enough for ground of this angle. If you have never worn crampons, this is a good place to start.
2How does Yala compare with Island Peak or Mera?
It is easier than both and considerably shorter. Island Peak has a steep headwall with fixed rope and a ladder crossing; Mera is not technical but goes to 6,476 m over three weeks. Yala is 5,520 m, fifteen days, and the summit slope is a walk in crampons. It is the natural first peak before either of them.
3Is there really no flight involved?
None. Syabrubesi is a seven to eight hour drive from Kathmandu on a road that is rough in places but open year-round in season. That removes the single biggest cause of delay on Khumbu climbs, which is why we recommend Yala to anyone whose dates are tight.
4Can I see Everest from the summit?
No — it is too far east and blocked by the Jugal Himal. What you do see is Shishapangma across the Tibetan border, Langtang Lirung, Langtang Ri, Dorje Lakpa, Naya Kanga and Gangchenpo, plus a long view onto the Tibetan plateau. It is a different panorama rather than a lesser one.
5What is high camp like?
Two-person tents on rock and snow at around 5,000 m, with a mess tent and a kitchen tent. It is cold, the ground is uneven and you will not sleep well, which is normal at that height. You arrive in the early afternoon, eat early and leave around 3 a.m., so it is a short and functional night rather than a comfortable one.
6What happens if the weather turns on summit day?
We turn round. The itinerary has a reserve day built in specifically so that a bad morning does not end the trip, and Yala is close enough to base camp that a second attempt the following day is realistic. Your guide makes the call and it is not negotiable on the mountain.
7Do I need to hire mountaineering boots?
You need insulated boots for the summit day — trekking boots are not warm enough at 5,520 m before dawn and will not hold a crampon properly. If you do not own a pair, hire them in Kathmandu during the equipment check; the shops in Thamel carry the standard sizes and the cost is modest.
8Is altitude sickness a risk on this itinerary?
Less than on most climbing trips, because the valley approach gains height slowly and the Kyanjin Ri day is a proper acclimatisation climb. You sleep at 3,870 m for two nights before going higher. Your guide checks oxygen saturation each evening from Langtang village onward.
9How many people are on a departure?
We run these with a maximum of eight climbers, and above base camp the ratio is one climbing Sherpa to every two climbers. On the summit day that means a rope team of three, which is the right number for ground of this angle and gives everyone a proper margin.
10Can Yala be combined with anything else?
It combines naturally with the Gosaikunda lakes, walking out over the Laurebina La to Dhunche instead of retracing the valley, which adds three days. Naya Kanga in the same valley is the obvious step up for a second trip. Tell us at booking and we will price the extension.
Gallery
Explore authentic moments, camps and summit views from the Yala Peak Climbing.
Trekking Guides & Articles
Yala Peak Climbing Guide: The Best First Himalayan Summit — 5,520 m in Langtang, reached by road from Kathmandu, with a short summit day and basic rope work.
Peak Climbing in Nepal: A Beginner's Guide to Trekking Peaks — Nepal's trekking peaks let a fit trekker reach 6,000 m with a week of skills rather than years of experience.
Naya Kanga Peak Climbing: The Complete Guide — A trekking peak with a genuine mountaineering summit day, directly opposite Kyanjin Gompa.
Tsho Rolpa Trek: The Complete Guide to Rolwaling's Glacial Lake — Twelve days up the Rolwaling valley — the hidden valley of Sherpa legend — to the largest glacial lake in Nepal.
Peak Climbing Gear List for Nepal's Trekking Peaks — Everything you need for a 6,000 m trekking peak — technical equipment, boots, clothing for a -25 °C summit morning.
Pokalde Peak Climbing: The Complete Guide — The most approachable of the Khumbu's climbing peaks and the honest answer for anyone who wants a real summit without a night on a glacier.
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This climb runs every week on the selected day through the climbing season. Choose custom dates for one-off departures.
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Guest Reviews
Could not recommend more
“Climbing Yala Peak Climbing had been on my list for years and it honestly exceeded everything I imagined. Summit day was hard, but standing on top with the team around me is something I will never for...
Luke Cook
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Tell us the dates you have in mind and roughly what you want out of the trek — one of our guides will reply, usually within 24 hours.
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