Day 6: Deboche

Hiking time: 4-5 hours

We’ll continue on and climb to the village of Tangboche (12,683 ft./3,865 m), the cultural and religious center of the Khumbu. At the monastery we’ll attend Buddhist ceremonies and rituals performed by local monks. Vistas from Tangboche are spectacular. The jagged peaks of Thamserku and Kangtega stand to our south, as Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Ama Dablam are visible to the north. The Monastery at Tangboche is one of the most well-known in the world, as the Rinpoche is revered throughout the Buddhist community, and has authored a number of books and essays. In the past our groups have had an audience with the Rinpoche and received his blessing.

Views from this locale (one of the finest on earth), include Kwangde (20,293 ft./6,185 m), Tawachee (21,457 ft./6,540 m), Nuptse (25,843 ft./7,876 m), Lhotse (27,883 ft./8498 m), Everest (29,029 ft./8,848 m), Ama Dablam (22,487 ft./6,854 m), Kantega (22,235 ft./6,777 m), Thamserku (21,674 ft./6,606 m).

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Today we hiked from Namche to Deboche. We went from 12,000 feet to 14,000 feet. We were able to see some snowy mountains in the early morning but then cloud cover and rain hit causing fog during most of the day. Though it was foggy, we were able to see some beautiful landscapes, villages, rivers, and animals. We met new friends along the way from a variety of different countries including Denmark, India, Israel, and the US, Along the way we stopped and had tea and lunch. We also stopped at the Tingbuche Monastery. The Monastery was beautiful and covered in intricate hand painted walls and ceilings. It is over 500 years old. The monks even left a dish of rice out for stray dogs living in the area. Today we also saw our first yaks! They had long fur and carried supplies across a bridge. Yesterday we saw a cat catch a mouse on a roof next to us. The cycle of life up close. Everyone is in great spirits and excited to continue our trek tomorrow!

-Adele Fulcher