Trail conditions in October
October is where the order of the route pays off. You reach Dole on day 6 as the post-monsoon air clears, Gokyo on day 8 and the climb of Gokyo Ri on day 9 with the best odds of the year, and Thangnak on day 10 with the Cho La still ahead. The Nepal Trekking Routes season guide describes clear views of the major peaks almost every day in autumn, and the tour FAQ calls the conditions on the Cho La stable.
The lakes tell the season. The research record at the fourth lake has its water level falling from 12 October after the monsoon peak, as the lake drains and begins to cool. So the lake you see on day 8 in October is a little lower every week from then until spring. Day 11 is the crossing, about 7 hours, in the order of a steep climb on loose rock, a short glacier stretch and the long descent to Dzongla at 4,800m.
The glacier can still be icy at dawn. A trekker who crossed in late September 2017 found the glacier incredibly slippery, bought microspikes the night before and found them a large help. Our tour notes recommend them, and October does not remove that advice.
