Day 7 (2/Apr/2026): Trek to Debouche (3820m) via Tengbuche Monastery (3870m)
Memories from our trek to Everest Base Camp (EBC)
Another clear sunny day and post breakfast, we started our trek from Namche Baazar around 7:30-7:45AM. Even though it was bright and sunny, it was very cold and we did need a fleece layer. Outside the Khumbu lodge we did a few warmups before starting our long day to Debouche. With fluttering prayer flags behind we exited the bustling lanes of Namche Baazar.
Unlike the previous days, the trail was smooth and easy to walk. Barring interruptions from mules where in we had stop for them to cross, it was one of the most enjoyable trails. On the way, a series of mountains shining in the sun were on the right throughout the trek and the dudh koshi river flowing in the valley. While Mt.Everest was playing peek-a-boo, views of Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Kusum Kanguru were constantly on our right side throughout the trail. No pictures or words can describe the beauty of this trail. It was therapeutic.
Until morning tea break (first break) the trail was mostly Nepali flat (ups and downs). After the break the trail turned into descent. In many places it was quite tricky as the soil was loose. On our way we saw Chauris/ Jhopkyo (cross breed of cow and yaks), Vultures and Himalayan Monal (similar to peacock). It was almost 2 hour descent to lunch place which was by the river side. While descending we had to be more watchful to avoid slipping and falling.
We stopped for lunch at Ever Green Lodge & Restaurant. After a long hike, hot food of dal-bhat was heaven. Even though it was just a few days into trekking, dal-bhat-tarkari was getting monotonous. We were craving for some spicy pickle. The pickle & chatnai powder we carried was left in our duffle bags. Luckily Hyderabad gang had some gongura pickle. Everyone took a little to quench the spicy cravings.
Post lunch we resumed our hike. After a very short walk, we had to cross a small bridge over the river. Now we were on the other side of the river. From here on it was more than 3 hours of ascent all the way to Tengbuche Monastery. With the increase in altitude, it felt like a never ending climb.
Around 4pm is when we reached Tengbuche Monastery. Since we were late for the evening prayers (which starts at 3PM), Sam suggested we take a break at the Tengbuche café which is right opposite overlooking the monastery, freshen-up and then visit the monastery. This was a much needed break. The clouds were setting in and the weather was getting quite chill. A hot beverage with some apple pie felt so good and instantly relieved all the tiredness. Apparently the apple pie here is one of the best and yes, it was definitely worth it. Sam came to check how everyone was doing. It had been a long day with a continuous ascent post lunch. Sanjeev got a little emotional. It was indeed a very overwhelming day. While the trail was beautiful, it was very tiring.
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| Tengbuche Monastery |
After relaxing for a bit we saw people coming out of the monastery indicating the prayers were done. We left our bags at the café and went to visit the monastery. We bumped into Gowthami and Rupal. They were just about reaching the café. They were very tired too. As we reached the monastery gate, the board read 5pm closing time and the ticket counter was already closed. We weren’t aware of this. Had we known about the timings we would have visited the monastery first and then gone to the café. After a lot of pleading to the monks, they issued tickets to us and asked us to do a quick round and return quickly.
The monastery was beautiful. So fortunate that we were allowed to get in. Sonam dai knew the lama and offered pooja for the safety and success of our trek. Apparently all the trekkers planning to summit Mt. Everest stop here to take blessings. The Lama offered prayers and tied sacred thread to each of us. Sitting quietly in the monastery felt so peaceful and blessed.
It was beyond the closing time of the monastery and we were asked to leave. Photography inside the monastery was prohibited. We quickly took a few pics from outside and thanked the monks for allowing us to visit at the last minute. As we stepped out of the monastery we saw a herd of yaks carrying loads of items for the trekkers to the base camp. This was our first encounter with the yaks. While we were looking at the yaks, suddenly a blob of clouds moved and there we a got a brief view of Mt. Everest. It was an amazing view. The mountains looked like they were floating in the sky. We soaked in these views until the clouds covered the mountains again.
We went back to the café, picked our bags and it was time to continue our hike to the tea house which wasn’t too far – about 30-40m from the monastery. The path to the tea house was beautiful. We had to pass through the rhododendrons forest. Unfortunately the flowers hadn’t yet bloomed. Nevertheless the walk through the forest was beautiful by itself. The trail also had a lot of Bhojpatra trees. The trunk of this tree peels to give paper like material which were used to write in the ancient days.
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| Bhojpatra tree |
On this trail it was just me, Pankaj, Sanjeev, Shobita and Dorche Dai. Dorche Dai was keeping us engaged by sharing his stories. It was almost dusk time. As we reached close to our tea house for the night (Rivendell Lodge), the sun was setting and what we saw was an unforgettable site of golden rays on the mountains right above our lodge. It was an amazing view. We waited until the clouds full covered the view and then walked to the tea house.
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| Rivendell lodge with glowing mountains @sunset |
Nestled in the rhododendrons forest and overlooking the mountains, Rivendell lodge is one of the beautiful tea houses here. We got our rooms allocated. Apparently all the early risers got the rooms facing the mountains. Not sure how true this was ;). Pankaj and I got the mountain view room. As soon as we checked-in we had to go to the dining area to give our dinner order. The specialty of this tea house was Biryani, so most of us ordered Biryani for dinner. After a long day, we were itching for a hot shower. But unfortunately the water wasn’t hot so we didn’t dare to take a cold/lukewarm shower. There were a few daredevils who did shower. After resting for a bit, we went to the dining area to get the warmth from Bukhari. After sunset it starts getting very cold in the mountain regions. Since the rooms aren’t heated the only respite is common area which has the Bukhari.
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| Rivendell lodge - Dining area |
The common area was big beautiful room made of wood. There was a Bhukari on which they had placed small pebbles. Some of us took couple of pebbles each to warmup our hands. While we were waiting for our dinner to get ready, Sam asked us to share our day’s highlights and experiences. I was super happy that I was able to do it without any pain and breathlessness (unlike the previous day). The key was walking at a pace I was comfortable and drinking lots of water. Soon dinner was served and as recommended, the biryani was super tasty. Post dinner was the usual routine of next day’s briefing, getting our water bottles filled and then time to sleep.
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| Mountains shining in full moon light |
While we were getting ready to sleep, we heard a knock on our door. It was Sanjeev. He was like – guys have you seen the mountains in full moon light? They look amazing. Let’s go and check it out. Stepping out is not like you just wear your slippers and head out. It is process in itself. We had layer up and ensure we don’t catch cold. Post dinner usually everything is shut at the tea houses. So we had use the back door to enter the courtyard which gave a full view of the mountains. Today was Buddha Purnima (full moon day), the skies were clear and the moonlight gave another level of charm to the mountains. The snow dust blowing on the top of the mountains shined in the moonlight – it truly looked like smoky mountains. Watching the night sky with the full moon, with no light pollution, gave a different glow to the mountains - this truly was a surreal experience.
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