Jiri
The 'Switzerland of Nepal' and the old starting point of the walk to Everest used by the 1953 expedition.
Jiri is a green valley town of the Jirel people, developed with Swiss help in the 1950s–60s with dairy farms and a cheese tradition. Before the Lukla airstrip, expeditions — including Hillary and Tenzing's in 1953 (who started from Kathmandu) — walked through this region to reach Everest.
The 'classic' route from Jiri to Namche takes about a week and crosses several ridges through Sherpa and Rai villages. It is far quieter than the Lukla route and helps with acclimatisation.
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