Moving among the biggest mountains in the world, glacier crossings, wild and sudden weather changes, altitude management, and of course three passes each over 5000 meters all while making good decisions about nutrition, hydration, health, and navigation = the full package. This route has everything.

Runners attempting the 3 Passes route should have extensive experience in high mountain terrain as well as an elite level of fitness. The distance between lodges is never more than a few hours, but an unexpected snowstorm, poor visibility, or sudden health issues can lead to problems very quickly. Rescue is not a reliable option.

For runners traveling to the Khumbu intending to do 3 Passes, the time leading up to your run day will reveal how realistic it is. Pulling it off requires that everything goes just right with health, fitness, and the weather. How you feel on some of the other runs will indicate where you are in your preparation and if doing something bigger is wise.

The beauty of the route is its adaptability - the bailout options - as shown in the 1 Pass and 2 Passes routes. Or, opt out of doing the route in a day and make it two or three days. The point is to do it. It took us several trips to the Khumbu and a couple of tries to pull off doing the 3 Passes in a day. We needed not only the right conditions, but the experience to make it happen, and even then, we managed to do 3 Passes, but stopped short of Namche. That story is here.