If it's bragging rights you're after, go ahead and do the Everest Base Camp trek, but if it's drop-dead gorgeous mountain scenery that really fires your stove, then give Everest and its crowds a miss and head up to Gokyo, situated in a glacial valley at 15,574 feet (4,747 meters). Not only do you get enough mountain views to use all the film you brought on your trip, but as you approach Gokyo you'll pass three bewitching little lakes of the most impossible shades of blue you've ever seen. Views from the valley just aren't good enough for you? Drag yourself up to the top of 17,990-foot (5,483-meter) Gokyo Ri, which rises above the lodges and pastures of Gokyo, for one of the finest panoramas in the Himalayas.

Peak performance:
It ain't Everest, but it's still hard.

Trip Facts
Difficulty rating: Hardcore
When to go: Fall and spring

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