Namche to Debuche

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Namche 3420m - Tengboche 3870m - Debuche 3770m

Time taken:

Namche - Tengboche 4 hours 30 mins

Tengboche - Debuche 30 mins

We start out from Namche early and the first two hours of the day are pretty easy going on a sunny undulating path but there is a definate sting in the tail of today's hike. Suriya has a friend he would like to stop in on for a morning tea break, so we stop during the morning in a tiny village called Sanasa. It turns out that Suriya's old school teacher lives here and he is keen to catch up with him. Suirya has also developed a sore throat and so takes some medicinal Raksi (local brew) to help. This makes him rather more chatty than usual and it is not long before a good deal of us are gathered in a tiny dark house having tea and Raksi at about 10am in the morning. As we eventually emerge a good half hour or so later, I notice many large groups have now passed us on the path which concerns me slightly as I know there is limited availability at Tengboche at times.

After some gentle persuasion to 'crack on' we reach Phunki Tenga, a lovely peaceful stop down at the foot of an ominously steep section of trail. My appetite is still not returned and I try to persuade Suriya that it's still early and that we can stop for lunch later, but he he's having none of it and is firm that we will not pass another lodge for some time so need to eat for energy. He is not particularly pleased with my choice of plain chapati for lunch, but I just can't bring myself to face a huge plate of noodles. It is very busy here by this time in the day and I spend lunch at the lovely Evergreen lodge with the sun beating down. I watch each group of trekkers ascending the visible slope before it disappears into the trees, many pausing to rest after only a few steps....

After lunch the climb is predictably tough for about 1.5 to 2 hours through the forest. The paths are very narrow and the bends on them are at times only wide enough for one person at a time. Having left it until about 12pm after our long morning stop, the downhill trekkers are coming thick and fast, mostly in large groups. They are determined to get down and steam through at great speed, sending small rocks down with them, their determination borders rudeness at times. The mental strength comes in a little now as the heat of the day is making it's presence felt, the trail is dusty and the thighs are beginning to protest a little. Having to stop and start every few minutes for the descending trekkers starts to take the piss and adds to the trekking time considerably.

We seem to have spent the warm part of the day in the forest and when we emerge at Tengboche, there is an icy wind blowing. Tengboche is a large plateau with several small lodges, but fewer than I thought, a bakery and a beautiful and famous monastery. By the time we had reached it, however, the clouds had rolled in and on enquiry, all rooms had gone. I was slightly pissed off with Suriya for the slow morning and lunch at this point as I felt quite like stopping but as it was, we had to walk on to Debuche, a small town 30 minutes on, thankfully downhill and not as exposed as Tengboche so a good deal warmer. I must own up to feeling quite exhausted by the time we arrived and I actually found this day much tougher than the climb to Namche which most people seem anxious about. I have Suriya's word that we will make a stop at Tengboche on the way back and have time to explore the monastery then.

That night, the dining hall is packed with trekkers, presumably this is an overflow destination for Tengboche, and consequently the room is pleasantly noisy with chatter and most importantly, warm. I share my table at dinner with a large group from Switzerland and force down another meal of pasta. I have no headache but no appetite either, it's very odd and one of the only times I can ever remember eating this little. I head off to bed early and sleep despite the noise looking forward to moving on.

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