How to plan the semi-technical Rolwaling–Tashi Lapcha traverse — Tso Rolpa, the 5,755 m pass, permits, gear and the right season.
The Rolwaling & Tashi Lapcha trek links the sacred, rarely-visited Rolwaling valley with the Khumbu over the glaciated Tashi Lapcha Pass (5,755 m). It's one of Nepal's great valley-to-valley traverses — and a semi-technical crossing that demands crampons, rope and a strong support team.
From Simigaon you climb to the Sherpa villages of Beding and Na, pass the huge turquoise glacial lake of Tso Rolpa (4,580 m), and camp below the pass. The Tashi Lapcha crossing drops you into Thame and on to Namche in the Khumbu — where you can continue to Everest Base Camp or fly out from Lukla.
Strenuous and semi-technical — the pass is a real glaciated crossing with objective hazards. Go in late April–May or October–November when conditions are most stable; heavy snow can close it entirely. Budget 16–20 days with acclimatisation in Rolwaling and a buffer for the pass.