Gokyo and Associated Lakes

Gokyo is an oligotrophic lake series covering 42.69 hectares in the Everest region. Partially fed by Ngozumpa glacier, it lies on the head of the Dudh Koshi River which descends from world's 7th higest mountain - Cho Oyo creating a unique and representative wetland in the world's highest freshwater lake system. There are 6 main lakes in Gokyo series, out of which Thonak Lake is the largest lake at 4834m followed by Gokyo. Dudh koshi is a sub-basin of Koshi River in Nepal, which feeds the Ganges river basin, safeguarding the livelihood of millions of people downstream. It was enlisted in the Ramsar list in 2007.

The alpine pasture meadow and sloping mountain terrain support a number of IUCN Redlisted are and vulnerable species, such as the kutki plant(Neopicrorhiza scrophulariifolai), the Himalayan thar or goat, the Snow Leopard, Wood snipe, endemic species like the flowering plant Kobresia fissiglumis, and many important birds like Aythya nyroca and Grus vigor. The3 system is a vital source of water for downstream communities. The site is two days' walk from Namche, the nearest town.