This is the national park at the roof of the world, with elevations ranging from 2,845 metres at Monju to 8,848 metres at the pinnacle of Sagarmatha, the highest mountain on Earth - also known as Mount Everest. Encompassing a vast domain of mighty peaks and seemingly bottomless gorges, the 1,148 sq km Sagarmatha National Park includes many glaciers, among them Khumbu, Imja, Lhotse, and Nangpa, and the lofty peaks of Lhotse, Cho-oyu, Thamserku, and Pumori. Vegetation in the Himalayan ecological zone includes forests of pine and hemlock at lower elevations; forests of fir, rhododendron, birch, and juniper above 3,500 metres; and treeline at 4,500 metres, above which birch woods yield to scrubby juniper and rhododendron. Wildlife includes Himalayan tahr, musk deer, Himalayan black bear, common langur, jackal, marten, pika, and more than 118 species of birds, including Impeyan pheasant and redbilled chough.

The park is home to more than 3,500 Sherpa people, who originated in the Kham Province of eastern Tibet and migrated to Nepal in the 1400's. Tibetan Buddhist festivals are celebrated at Tengboche and other monasteries. Activities include extended treks through the high Himalayas and summiting the highest peaks on Earth.

• Visit in spring, and view the brilliant colors of blooming wild rhododendrons.
• Bring binoculars, and view Himalayan tahr, musk deer, common langur, and some of the 118 species of birds found in the park.
• Test your training and stamina against the highest summits in the world.
• Stroll through the settlements of the native Sherpa people, and learn about the lifeways of a culture that has persisted at the roof of the world for centuries.