Climb Kalapattar and/or visit Everest
Base Camp.
This mountain was first climbed in 1953
by a route from the Kongma La along
its North-ridge. Despite its relatively
low altitude the mountain's first successful
climbers were giants of the mountaineering
world, a fact that is true of many of
the Trekking peaks.
Phokalde is an insignificant-looking
mountain when seen from Periche, from
where it appears as a rocky ridge dominated
by the vast bulk of Nuptse. Seen from
the Lobuje or Gorak Shep the peak looks
more interesting rising to the south
of the Kongma La (5,535m/18,159ft),
an infrequently traversed pass that
leads into the Chhukhung Valley. The
northern side of the mountain has a
small hanging glacier that is best reached
along the ridge rising from the Kongma
La. By and large the rock on the mountain
is poor, although it does offers some
interesting scrambling on the well-defined
ridges. The summit provides a good viewpoint
and from that perspective is a fine
little peak.