Day 24 Tengboche to Namche Bazar

	Tengboche	Namche Bazar
Latitude	27° 50.13N	27° 48.24N
Longitude	86° 49.02E	86° 42.69E
Altitude	3,860 metres	3,547 metres

Ascent	207 metres
Descent	610 metres
Time (excluding rests)	5 hours 20 minutes
Distance	7 kilometres

The path is idylic

Even the YetiZone yak needed no extra encouragement, especialy as she was nearly home...

But it's a different story if your yak is going uphill.

The rhododendrons are in full bloom in May

Image of the Buddha Padma Sambhava is painted on a rock.

Watch out for goats

Ama Dablam - but you've probably had enough of it by now!

     Well, you'll have to leave eventually. Today's trek follows an excellent path down to the Dudh Kosi and up to Namche Bazar.

The view of Kwangde from the path to Namche

     Walk past the large stupa at the south of Tengboche. Take one last look at the view, and then leave through the entrance gateway, and walk down the steep path. The path is lined with conifers and rhododendrons, and must be the best path in Nepal, at least on a fine day.

     It was on this path that Sherpa Sen Tenzing told Ed Hillary that he had seen a yeti. Sen Tenzing was going home down this path one night after a heavy chang drinking session at the gompa. There before him in the moonlight was a hairy yeti! Scared witless, Sen Tenzing hid until the yeti went away. When he eventually plucked up the courage to continue on his way, there in the moonlight were the yeti's tracks. So keep your eyes open, you never know what you might see, especially if you've been drinking chang.

     Continue down the well-engineered path, which even has passing places for yaks. Descend down to the village of Phungi Tanka, by the Dudh Kosi river [27° 49.92N 86° 44.92E 3,250 metres] (1 hour). It's a great place for a wash as there is a water channel running through the village. There's a lodge, the Thamserku Lodge.

     Cross a scary wooden bridge over the Dudh Kosi, and then begin the zigzags up the path. After about 20 minutes Ama Dablam is once again visible behind you. The path levels out and, once again, there is perfect trekking amongst the conifers and rhododendrons.

     There are several lodges along this way. Reach Khumbu Junction, this time taking the left hand path towards Namche. There are three lodges here:

• Khumbila Lodge
• Sangnasa Lodge
• Mountain View Lodge

     Pass a huge boulder in a stream bed. Continue along the path contouring the hillside until you reach Namche (5 hours 20 minutes).

It's the photo that's distorted, not the building!

Copyright Ian Johnson 2003

Comment by: Francette le Roux     lerouxf@safety.fs.gov.za
Date of trek: 30 Oct - 17 Nov 2005
Date of comment: 15 August 2005

Hi!

Can someone please clarify something for me? Yetizone says the trek from Tengboche to Namche is 7km. Stephen Bezruchka writes in his book TREKKING IN NEPAL (p. 225) the distance from Namche to Tengboche is 19km (12 miles)!!!! That is one HUGE difference and, if true, will definately take us more than one day on the going-up. Bezruchka alleges that the trail milage he quotes is from data collected on the Everest marathon from Gorak Shep to Namche (p. 229) and, when added to the other distances quoted by him, seems to add up to the length of a marathon .... but 19km?
Also, does anyone knows the distance from Khumjung to Tengboche? Please CC me also to inafaber@icon.co.za. All tips and stories welcome! We (a group of + and - 50 year old South Africans) will do a lodge trek through a Nepalese trekking company (already booked and paid) and are now frantic seeking ANY information that may be helpful! Thanx! Francette

Comment by: Dave     
Date of trek: 2004
Date of comment: 20 November 2005

By now you will have found out that Ian is correct. It is half a day into Tengboche if you are fit and aclimatized and a nice day if you are not!