Sagarmatha National Park

The Sagarmatha National Park is the highest national park in world, located above 3000 meters i.e. 9700 feet. The park comprises the upper catchment areas of Dudh Kosi and Bhote Kosi Rivers. Most part of the landscape is rugged terrain and gorges of the high Himalayas.

The Park is located amidst the peaks which are counted among the tallest in the world. Mount Sagarmatha is none other than Mt. Everest itself. Other well known peaks such as Lhotse, Thamerku, Pumori, Ama Dablam, Cho Oyu, Kwangde, Kangtaiga and Gyachyung Kang are also located nearby. More than 118 species of birds and 26 species of butterflies reside in the park.

Fast Facts

Location	Solu-Khumbu District of the Sagarmatha Zone, Northeast of Kathmandu
Established On	July 19, 1976
Importance	UNESCO World Heritage Site
UNESCO Category	Natural
Listed In Year	1976
Area Covered	1,148 sq. km.
Endangered Species	Wild Yak, Musk Deer, Red Panda, Snow Leopard and Himalayan Black Bear
Best Season To Visit	October to November and December to February

UNESCO World Heritage Site

• The Mt. Sagarmatha (Everest) and the surrounding areas are important not only to Nepal but also to the rest of the world. too. Its recognition as a National Park since 1976 intends to protect its unique cultural, physical and scientific values.
• The UNESCO recognised Sagarmatha National Park as a world heritage site in 1976 as the park 'contains superlative natural beauty and is of great aesthetic importance'.

Fauna
Creatures that can be witnessed in the wildlife tour of the park are following:

Endangered Animals : Endangered animals residing in this park are Snow Leopard, Musk Deer, Wild Yak, Red Panda and Himalayan Black Bear.
Large Mammals : Big mammals commonly seen in the park are the Himalayan Tahr and Musk Deer.
Other Mammals : Other mammals include the Himalayan Black Bear, Jackal, Weasels, Marten, Common Langur and the Himalayan Mousehare (Pika).
Birds : The park is the residence of more than 118 species of birds. The most common ones are the Impeyan Pheasant (Danphe), Redbilled Chough, Blood pheasant and Yellow-billed Chough.

Flora
Pine and hemlock forests are found at the lower elevations of the park. Above 3500m, trees such as birch, rhododendron, silver fir and juniper trees can be seen. Rhododendron show luminous colours in spring and monsoon seasons. The tree line in the region is at 4500m. Birch gives way to juniper and rhododendron scrubs. The park landscape is cut by deep rivers and glaciers. It can be segregated into four climatic zones:

• The Lower Forested Zone where Juniper, Birch, Blue Pines, Bamboo, Firs and Rhododendon grow.
  
• The Upper Zone where plant life is limited to Lichens and Mosses.
• The Artic Zone where plants stop to grow.

Activities
Nature Walk
The park can be best experienced on foot. Nothing can match the walker's sense of excitement at complete fusion with the world of Nature by observing the park's vegetation and wildlife.

Trekking
From Sagarmatha National Park, trekking trail to Kala Pathar Peak is the most popular, though the treks to Gokyoand Chukung Valleys are no less thrilling.

Places of Interest
Apart from the greatly varied flora and fauna as well as the impressive mountain scenery of the park, there are some monasteries and gompas in the Sagarmatha National Park premises that hold the travellers' attention. Here is brief infomation about such places.

Park Visitor Center
It is located at Mendalphu i.e. the park's Headquarters. While staying at Namche Bazar, don't forget to visit the natural history and cultural heritage museum.

Thame Gomba
It is one of the most important religious centers in the area. Renowned Mani Rimdu festival is celebrated here in May.

Khumjung Gomba
In June the Dumje festival is observed here as well as at the monasteries of Namche and Pangboche.

Highlights

• Marvellous mountains, glaciers and deep valleys, dominated by Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world (8,848 m).
• Several rare species, such as the snow leopard and the lesser panda, can be found in the park.
• The presence of the Sherpas, with their unique culture, makes the site more interesting.

How to Reach
Common ways to reach the national park are:

• Flight to Lukla followed by two days walk.
• Bus to Jiri and 10 days walk
• Flight to Tumlingtar and 10 days walk.
• Flight to Syangboche, the highest airstrip in the world.
• Flight to Phaplu and 5 days walk.