Travels in Nepal # 28 Namche Bazar to Tengboche

Near Namche Bazar, Nepal

Our guide warned us that the next day’s trek to Tengboche would be quite hard. It started off with yet another hard slog up the path to the ridge overlooking Namche Bazar. This was the fourth time we did this little stretch in a little over 24 hours. It certainly warmed us up early in the day and it wasn’t long before various items of clothing found their way into our day packs.

After the sharp climb up out of Namche Bazar the track towards Tengboche levels out for about two hours of relatively easy walking. None of the rises in this part of the trek is very steep, though that is a relative term. What we would call a steep climb back home is a gentle rise in Nepal. This part of the track follows the contour of the mountains. The views along this part of the journey are amazing. But then – the views everywhere in this part of Nepal are amazing. One runs out of superlatives.
After about two hours walking the path drops rapidly down to a village in the valley. It is a 400 metre drop down to the river. I found going down was often as demanding on the body as going up. There were so many opportunities to trip, twist an ankle, fall or do oneself an injury every step of the way. By now my toe nails were becoming bruised from the impact of my feet on the front of my shoes.

We stopped for lunch in a tiny lodge before crossing the river and attempting the steep climb to Tengboche.

Related Articles:

• Namche Bazar to Tengboche – my travel journal written at the time of the trek.