Dingboche to Deboche – Day 16 – Trek Everest Base Camp

It’s Day 16 of our trek to Everest Base Camp.  We’re on our second day of heading back home.  Today we’ll trek from Dingboche to Deboche, via a visit to the famous Tengboche Monastery.

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After yesterday’s snow, it’s another glorious day in Nepal.  And we have a lie-in – our wakeup call doesn’t come until 7 am, although now we’re all usually awake by 05:30, even if we don’t move out of our sleeping bags.   Even breakfast seems to go down a little easier.  I suspect, though, it will be a long while before I will willingly eat eggs again.

Dingboche to Deboche

We’re heading down to Deboche today, with an optional (and it really is optional now) trip to the Tengboche Monastery.

Dingboche to Deboche Logistics

Dingboche to Deboche Distance

It’s 13 kilometers from Dingboche to Deboche, around 8 miles.   We lose around 600 meters in altitude.

A reminder that if you need a medical evacuation by helicopter it will cost at least US$5,000. Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

Dingboche to Deboche Time Trekking

We took 3 hours to trek from Dingboche to Deboche.

Dingboche to Deboche Map

Once we set off, its cripsy underfoot, glorious clear skies with huffy clouds and the stark cleanliness that only fresh snow brings.

We head back down the way we came up to Dingboche, along the side of the river.  Then we go through Pangboche, although this time we miss the toilet with the cross bar.

There are lots of folks heading up.

There are lots of folks heading up now.  As the cool of the early morning wears off, it gets muddier and there’s a drip of melting snow and the trickle of streams flowing towards the river below.

We Try Austrian Hiking in Nepal

We team up with the fast group, led, today by Mek, who, with a canny look at who he’s got in the group decides that we will do a little of what Margaret calls “Austrian hiking”.

Trekking at altitude carries risks. We insured ourselves through World Nomads – buying specific altitude coverage in case of altitude sickness. We were also able to renew our policy while out of our home country. Unfortunately, things can and do go wrong when you travel. World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more..

This involves finding a near vertical slope with no track.  There are many small bushes with strong branches.  We scramble across it.  One after another.

Quickly before the roots fail and the soil crumbles.  It’s probably as much exhilaration as I can take, so I’m glad it’s just this one slope that we traverse like that.

We scoot down and cross the river – this is a new bridge, the one further downstream, that was higher up was taken out by the last monsoon.

The Two Nepal Trekking Seasons

There are two trekking seasons in Nepal.  Pre monsoon and post monsoon.  We’re in the pre monsoon season.  This year monson will start in early June, although trekking tends to slow down towards the middle of May.  The vast majority of Everest climbs take place during May.

With very little planned irrigation in Nepal, monsoon rain is relied upon by farmers across the country to provide for their growing needs.  It accounts for the reason that there is only, for many farmers, one rice harvest.  In China and some parts of Sri Lanka there might be three, but usually two.

It’s now a pleasant walk through the woods to the Deboche campsite, where we’re greeted by a huge selection of tents.

The choice though it rather limited.  There are many broken zips and tears, so we mostly end up in the line furthest away from the dining room and the toilets.

Flushing Toilets!

WHICH ARE FLUSHING!.  That’s right.  sit down, flushing toilets. There’s even a light.  It’s incredible the excitement that this causes.

Tengboche Monastery

After lunch in what is possibly the most cozy dining room we’ve been in, there’s an optional walk to the Tengboche Monastery – 45 minutes, says Ramesh  – we do it in 35.  It’s all uphill of course.  And here, in this most glorious of settings is the Monastery.  It’s where climbers come for their blessings, where you can drink Illy Coffee and get a slice of deep-dish apple pie for US$5.

The Blessing Ceremony at Tengboche Monastery

We’re here for the blessing ceremony, which takes place at 3 pm.   There’s quite a crowd by the time three o’clock comes around and we have to leave our boots outside, file silently in, and take a place around the edges of the room, there are mats on the stone floor, in some places.  There’s the really really horrible smell of 40 pairs of sweaty feet.

And we listen for the next 20 minutes or so to the chanting and prayers of the three monks and finally as the effort of breathing through our mouths gets too much, we leave a small donation and head back the way we came to Deboche to check out those flushing toilets once more.

Read a Day by Day Guide to Trekking to Everest Base Camp

Our day by day guides to trekking to Everest Base Camp include step by breathless step guides.

• Day 1: Lukla to Monjo
• Day 2 – Monjo to Namche Bazaar
• Day 3 – Namche Rest Day – Exploring the Khumbu Valley
• Day 4 Namche to Phortse Tenga
• Day 5 Phortse Tenga to Dhole
• Day 6 Dhole to Macchermo
• Day 7 Macchermo Rest Day
• Day 8 Macchermo to Gokyo
• Day 9 Gokyo Ri
• Day 10 Gokyo to Thangnak
• Day 11 Thangnak to Phortse Tenga
• Day 12 Phortse Tenga to Dingboche
• Day 13 Dingboche to Lobuche
• Day 14 Lobuche to Gorakshep
• Gorakshep to Everest Base Camp
• Day 15 Summiting Kalapathar
• Day 16 Dingboche to Deboche
• Day 17 Deboche to Monjo
• Day 18 Monjo to Lukla

Essentials for an Everest Base Camp Trek

• To do the Everest Base Camp trek, a medical evacuation by helicopter will cost at least US$5,000. The fittest member of our group was evacuated from Macchermo with altitude sickness. Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.
• Hiking Poles – these are lightweight, packable, and a great aid. Want more options for trekking poles? My guide to the best budget trekking poles is here.
• Good layering thermals
• Great sunglasses – the glare here is amazing- my Maui Jim sunnies have been to Everest Base Camp, and Macchu Picchu, they’ve sailed the Atlantic, and been to the Galapagos & Easter Island.
• Amazing socks – I’ve hiked in Bridgedale Socks for 10 years now and they’re amazing.
• If you’re looking for hiking boots on a budget – then here’s our guide to the best budget hiking boots for men

And… the most important thing…

• A great team to trek with – you can check options here.

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