Island Peak got its name because it looks like an island in a sea of ice when you see it from Dingboche, and it has become the single most popular climbing permit in Nepal. The reason is the shape of the day: a long pre-dawn walk up a rocky gully, crampons on at the glacier, a roped crossing of a crevasse field on aluminium ladders, and then the headwall — 100 to 150 metres of steep snow and ice climbed on a fixed rope with a jumar, finishing on a genuinely narrow summit ridge. It is a real climb with a real crux, and it is the standard proving ground for anyone building towards a 7,000 m or 8,000 m permit.
TerraBlaze runs this climb end to end: the NMA permit and park fees, the trek in, a fully staffed base camp, a licensed climbing guide and a climbing Sherpa on summit day, fixed rope on the steep ground and an evacuation plan filed before you land. You bring the fitness — we handle everything else.
Three things that set this permit apart — the mountain itself, and the support that gets you up it.
The crux is unmistakable: a steep snow and ice wall climbed on fixed line, straight onto a knife-edge ridge with the Lhotse face filling the sky behind you.
Steeper ground than a beginner peak: a headwall or ridge where you ascend a fixed rope with a jumar and come back down it on an abseil.
A night in a tent above base camp and a start in the dark — the rhythm of a real expedition, compressed into one summit day.
Climbs are planned in phases rather than fixed days — the mountain and the forecast decide the exact schedule. Every confirmed booking gets a full dated itinerary before departure.
You are met on landing and taken to your hotel in Kathmandu.
We complete the climbing permit paperwork, introduce you to your guide and go through your personal equipment item by item. Anything missing can still be bought or hired at this point.
The team reaches the mountain by a flight to Lukla and the Everest trail through Namche Bazaar and Dingboche into the Imja valley below the Lhotse face.
The walk-in is paced for acclimatization rather than speed — short days, controlled altitude gain and rest days where the profile needs them.
We establish Island Peak Base Camp (5,087 m) with dining, kitchen and toilet tents, and run a full practice session on the fixed line — jumar, abseil, crampon technique and crevasse rescue — before the first rotation.
Your climbing permit — NMA Group B trekking-peak permit — is arranged and paid for long before you arrive.
The team moves up to establish high camp, carrying loads and sleeping high before dropping back to rest.
Meanwhile the climbing Sherpas fix rope on the steeper ground above.
When the forecast gives a usable window the team leaves high camp in the dark for the summit of Island Peak (Imja Tse) (6,189 m) via the South-west ridge and headwall.
After the summit we descend all the way to base camp the same day.
We strip the high camp and carry everything off the mountain — nothing is left behind.
The return retraces the approach at a faster pace, ending with a celebration dinner in Kathmandu and your climbing certificate.
The same transparent structure we use on every trek and expedition — you know exactly what is in the number before you commit to anything.
From the day you land until the day the last load comes off the mountain, the logistics and the safety net are ours.
Every climb is planned by staff who have stood on these summits themselves
Climbing permit, park fees and liaison paperwork arranged end to end
A real training day on snow, not a ten-minute briefing at the last lodge
Rest days paced to the mountain, never squeezed to shorten the trip
Boots, crampons, axe, harness and down kit available in Kathmandu
Emergency oxygen, pulse oximetry and an evacuation plan filed before you land
A high guide-to-climber ratio on summit day, every departure
One transparent quote — permits, camp, crew and support all included
"Everybody talks about the headwall. Nobody warns you about how narrow the ridge is at the top."
— Island Peak (Imja Tse), 6,189 m
Scenes from the ranges we climb in — click any photo to view it full size.
Island Peak (Imja Tse) — the objective
Prayer flags on the walk-in
Base camp on the moraine
The last lake before the ice
The approach
High groundSend us whatever you have walked or climbed before and your preferred season. We reply within 24 hours with a written, itemised quote — and an honest view on whether this is the right peak for you right now.
Fully licensed Nepali agency — Regd No: 125496/078/079
Boots, crampons, axe, harness and down kit available in Kathmandu
We will tell you if a different peak suits your experience better
Island Peak Climbing • 16–18 Days • Free quote within 24 hours
