Spiritual · Everest Base Camp
The climbers' memorials at Thukla pass
On the climb above Dughla towards Lobuche, the Thukla pass, at about 4,830 m, is a field of stone chortens, cairns and plaques for climbers and Sherpas who died on Everest and nearby peaks. A quiet, moving place to stop and reflect.
From Dughla, a few lodges beside the Khumbu Khola at about 4,620 m, the trail climbs steeply up the terminal moraine of the Khumbu glacier for about an hour. At the top, the Thukla pass opens into a broad, windswept area filled with memorials: stone chortens of every size, cairns, prayer flags and metal plaques, set against a backdrop of Pumori and the peaks above the Khumbu glacier.
Each marks a life lost on the mountains: foreign climbers and many Sherpas, guides and porters from Khumbu and beyond. Some memorials are elaborate, others a simple pile of stones with a name scratched in. Walking among them, you understand that Everest's history is not only one of summits. Sherpa families have paid a heavy price for the industry that sustains Khumbu.
Take time here. It is a natural rest stop after the steep climb, and a good place to catch your breath before the final hour to Lobuche. Walk quietly, do not climb on the chortens, and if you wish, add a stone to a cairn. Your guide may have known some of the people remembered here; let him or her share as much or as little as feels right.
Good for
Questions
Where are the Everest memorials?
At the Thukla pass, also called Dughla pass, at about 4,830 m on the trail between Dughla and Lobuche. It is about an hour's climb above Dughla on the standard Everest Base Camp route. The area is filled with stone chortens, cairns and plaques for climbers and Sherpas who died on Everest and nearby peaks.
Who is remembered at the Thukla memorials?
Climbers and Sherpas who died on Everest and neighbouring mountains, including foreign mountaineers, Sherpa guides and porters. Some memorials honour well-known climbers, others ordinary workers whose names are known mainly in their villages. Your guide may know many of the stories.
Is the climb to Thukla pass hard?
It is a steep climb of about 200 m over roughly an hour from Dughla, at altitudes around 4,600–4,830 m, so it feels hard. Walk slowly and rest at the top among the memorials. The trail then eases for the final hour or so to Lobuche at about 4,940 m.
Also in Everest Base Camp
More ways to spend the day
TrekkingKala Patthar for the Everest view
Climb Kala Patthar, the black rock hill above Gorak Shep at about 5,644 m, for the classic view of Everest's …
TrekkingWalk the moraine from Gorak Shep to Base Camp
From Gorak Shep's frozen sandy lakebed, follow the lateral moraine of the Khumbu glacier for 2–3 hours, then drop onto …
NatureStars over Gorak Shep at 5,164 m
Step out of your Gorak Shep lodge on a clear, moonless night to one of the darkest, highest night skies …