EBC Trek : Route

I've marked the route on Google Maps:


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Alternatively, you can access the map here: http://goo.gl/maps/Xts3e

The route in short:
Day 1: Lukla - Phakding ( Lukla- Phakding is mostly downhill. Alternatively can also proceed to Monjo so that the
next day's trek is shortened)

Day 2: Phakding- Namche Bazar (Hard Days walk up. Especially Jorsale to Namche Bazar is a straight 600m walk up with no respite)

Day 3: Namche Bazar Acclimatisation ( Ask the porters/ guides around or consult McGuiness's book/ Lonely planet for
places around. I went to the Everest View Hotel)

Day 4: Namche Bazar - Tengboche/Debuche ( Debuche is just 10 minutes lower than and after the crowded Tengboche)

Day 5: Tengboche/Debuche - Pheriche ( Most guides/ porters head for Dingboche. However Pheriche is lower and better for acclimatisation. Plus its got the only medical centre specialised in AMS and there are 2 free talks held here daily. Rather hear these talks on the way up than down. Very helpful)

Day 6: Acclimatisation at Pheriche (Ask around/ consult the guide books for recommended acclimatisation day treks. We went to the gompa between Pheriche and Dingboche)

Day 7: Pheriche - Dughla ( More popular is to head to lobuche which is double the recommended daily height gain of 300 metres. I wouldn't want to take that risk. Plus after you reach dughla, can go visit the Chola lake- one of the most beautiful things you'll see on this trek)

Day 8: Dughla - Lobuche (Also can head to the pyramid a little further of Lobuche if not lazy)

Day 9: Lobuche - Gorahshep - EBC- Gorakshep ( zzz at Gorakshep...its almost over)

Day 10: Gorakshep- Kalapathar - Gorakshep- Dingboche/Tengboche ( now you're descending down and AMS is as big a risk ( you're still above 3000 metres and very susceptible at any point)so head down at a pace you choose.

Day 11: Dingboche - Namche Bazar

Day 12: Namche Bazar - lukla

The return trip down - can do this in 2 days too and your trip is then 11 days.Take a pitstop in the middle and extend this to 13 days - YOU choose: We chose to lenghthen a day and stay for the Mani Rimdu festival at Tengboche Monastery ( totally on the spot decision)- one of the best decisions:) And hence keep your itenary felxible by one or two days. Do NOT forget to factor in the erratic flights in and out of Lukla. We experienced delays both in and out of Lukla and were lucky to have buffer days.

EBC: Day 0 - Butterflies :)

19th October 2012:

Finally yesterday began my journey to the long awaited Himalayas:) when i boarded the August Kranti to Delhi...I did take a last minute call and keep my favourite sleeping bag at home..and then at night had some strange second thoughts..So much so that Nilendra started shouting at me..for being irresponsible..

Had thought i'll take the subway from Delhi station to the airport, but as luck has it, its shut for some repairs. Had to finally haggle with the infamous Dilli thugs-aka cab wallas. As expected, he did end up under-quoting and overcharging. But that frustration was balmed down by his noble gesture of picking up and unknown old woman and dropping her closer to her destination...People will continue to surprise me!:)

Got off at the Tribhuvan Intl Airport( international eh? felt more like an Indian train station to me!). Saw a Mobile sim shop and purchased a Nepali sim( wise decision , realised later that if i had waited to get into the city for this, I may have had to pay unreasonable amounts just for the simcard) Car was waiting to pick me up to take me to the hotel which means "welcome" in Nepali culture:).. the price wasn't decided- he charged me 750 INR per night( later realised how EXHORBITANT this was - i would've gotten a bed in about 350 NPR..argh!)..Butterflies in stomach, settled down in the double-bed room.

Got an Email from a Swedish guy from http://trekkingpartners.com/ who's planned his trek same dates...called him up and decided to meet up the next day to get the tix , permit etc.....

Got really excited at the Delhi international airport when i spotted this pack of the cutest little Nutella bottles called the week pack( bwaaaaahhhhaaaaa)but then bit back the impulse when my goldfish memory failed me and i remembered that i have to carry trash all the way back down....



20th October:
That was a sleepless night, after the sleepless train journey. The day was spent shuttling between Mountain Hardwear, Salewa and Northface- had to buy thermals, walking stick, boots,gloves and any other knickknacks that catch my fancy:)

Its 2 pm and have bought upper and lower thermals and a nice comfy pant
Durga came at 3 pm.had a nice chat with my trekmate..who's first words after he saw me were- you are TANNED, you won't have much of a problem on the trek.

Agent called round 6 to say that tix not happening-and only option is chopper ride-at 250 and later bargained to 200 USD possible...

7.30 pm-Confirmed now-200 usd to lukla via heli..wuhuuuu..(how many times does one get to do a chopper ride over the mighty Himalayas)

Crazy day was this one - unpredictable day with the tix changing.COntemplated whether to buy a down jacket- to buy an origial or the fake one, or whether to buy a TNF triclimate jacket. Finally, I am not usually agreeable about fakes and I could also get a deal later for a down jacket- for now- I went to rent out a down jacket. After asking around in quite a few shops, i found one shop Yak Mountain that gave jackets on rent...she was asking 80 rupees per day later bargained down to 75 NR..i decided to look further-found another shop-nice guy-he told me 36 bucks and i spoke to him and his cute little kid-apparently he has summitted Mt.Everest 6 times and been on 11 Everest expeditions.


(Nima tenji sherpa and his cute son..11 everest expeditions and
summitted 6 times..runs a shop when he is not Everesting:)

(He provided good guidance- what all i would need he said fake gloves would work fine for 1200 rs(yayyy..whatte steal!) and original walking sticks for 6300 NR..he later gave me discounts-30 bucks a day for the Jacket and 900 for gloves an 5400 for Black Diamonds sticks.)

EBC Trek: Day 1 - Kathmandu - Lukla- Phakding

21st October 2012:
(Writing from my bed at the Tasi Darghey lodge at Phakding)

This morning was chaos..slept at almost 1 last night and then woke up early.Morning ablutions - that needed to last me the whole trek (gulp) and then the packing...and then there was a power outage and then Mr Roshan the agent called asking if i could come in earlier as the chopper may leave earlier( WHATTT!!!)..We reached the airport and after making us sit for a while , he went off to pick up our boarding passes, he returned all sombre and said that there is a rescue at Basecamp 2 and hence wont be a chopper flying in to Lukla..And that he will try to get us get same day tix for noon...after a whole lot of waiting and anticipation-and absolute chaos..we finally got our boardin passes. Must say it was interesting. We realised we weren't the only ones. There were quite a few people waiting patiently and silently praying that they'd be able to leave that day. Yes even if you have a flight booked MONTHS ago and confirmed the previous day, there is NO, I repeat, NOO guarantee that you'll be able to fly out on your scheduled flight on your scheduled date. Plus if you're from a SAARC nantion resident, like an Indian, who get an instant discount, be prepared to wait long, very long.Also keep spare change to pay the airport tax that is NOT included in the flight fare.....

Usually not more than 15kgs per person is allowed to be checked in, and defintiely not multiple pieces of luggage. We weighed ourselves on the check-in baggage scale just for the fun of it- and to be able to compare our weight when we get back in:)

We paid Mr Roshan for the tix and after accepting his profuse apology, we went to the boarding area-starving but we decided to go the gates anyway and first check the status of which gate we'd have to exit to get on our flight first-turns out they had been announcing our names .....( The announcements are so horrible, u cant really distinguish syllables.....)

Crazy plane ride later we finally touched down at Lukla (2800 metres) and began our trek-passed the first check point. Okk- so we'd logged in our first tick on the trek:)

Then after debating where to eat- had a samosa for 20 bucks then some Veg noodle soup for 150(warning- i looked up the packet and saw the Veg noodles had chicken stock in it!!)

Then walked walked walked to lukla. We saw a Starbucks Lukla-fake obviously..laughed so much..then cute kids all along and a landslide across the river...



( One of the first Mountain Villages we came across down in the valley)

One hour from Phakding we thought we were already at Phakding but actually one hour away and that one hour was up and up... i suppose didnt do bad if u take note if the fact that i was carrying 15 kilos..

Once we reached Phakding..lodges gave us all diff prices finally stayed at Tasi Dargey for 100 bucks a night:)

Food is expensive though -70 bucks for tea and 200 for toast

Was a beautiful walk up-good we went slow-saw some amazing views:)

I was walking and one little cute girl came with a bunch of marigolds and offered me one ..i refused..she was like 'no, thank you'..(which meant please take and say thank u)..so cute...)

Now its 9.28 pm..and am off to zzz



( The first crazy swinging bridge we came across on the trek and yeah, first Yak too. The bridge is made of metal- doesn't stop in swinging with the winds though. I was petrified- actually counted the bolts on this one)

EBC Trek: Day 2 - Phakding - Namche Bazar

22 October 2012
( Tired woman's writing from her comfortable warm bed at Khumbu Lodge, Namche Bazar( 3450 metres))

(Rs. 1340 total bill- had Cinnamon and raisin oats for breakfast at Phakding- cannot wait to start cooking and saving money!)

Lukla- Benkar - steep walk up to Monjo then a drop down to the river for a bit and then after one crazy bridge, straight up up and up all the way to Namche)

Was a up and down trek...saw a few people wearing tees which read" Nepal flat- a little up and a little down" which was so true as we just went up up up and then down...and everytime we went down our mind kept counting- every step down means an additional step up. We had to show our TIMS permit 3 places . I was surprised when at the Sagarmatha entrance i had to shell out 1500 NR instead of the budgeted 100 NR for the Sagarmatha entrance fees. There was an interesting board there that mentioned year and monthwise number of people entering the national park. October apparently was already 10000 people, record month it seems:)


So after a few ups and downs through forests and surrounding green mountains that looked right out of Avatar( i swear the scenes were inspired by here!) and then following the river sustainedly for an hour or so we finally came to another swinging bridge( oh and we crossed quite a few bridges today on the way- now used to it- and todays were long, more shaky and vertiginous and crazier still) and then after a steep climb down we reached a corner that offered us a beautiful view to the river below and the mountains surrounding us. Took a few pics and started our way up. 600 metres straight up with no respite now.Met trains of yaks and people walking steadily upwards.So many porters. My trekmate,the curious cat even tried to lift what seemed almost like a 50+ kg load.




The point I was waiting for was the elusive view point from where one can view Everest-the first view. Well I wasn't really waiting to see Everest, but was waiting to get to a point which is closer to Namche Bazar. I think we finally arrived at Namche Bazar at round 330-4 pm. I saw the Khumbu lodge( that was suggested by Roshan) from far away. Meanwhile passed Irish bars and Everest bakeries- i was uninterested- couldn't wait to take the pack off me back and sit own for a bit. Khumbu lodge was 200 bucks a night. - but the room had a single Queen size bed instead of the usual 2 separate beds. The toilet was clean. There was a sink outside the toilet that had a board warning us to NOT wash our socks or clothes at the sink and use their laundry services instead( 80NR per piece)..yeah right!

Funny thing is i'd read in McGuinesse's book(the 2002 edition) about the fact that Jorsale is the last village before the 600 metre straight walk up to Namche. We ignored that thinking the book's old. Sure enterprising tea houses must've sprung up by now. But turns out nothing's changed. We had to walk all the way up all hungryyy. With peanuts and dates and figs and digestive biscuits for energy. Plus we were stressed out a bit on the hydration bit. 5 litres H2O was a mantra we kept repeating.I think this is the first time i opened my bottle and poured down 2 hydration salt packets down the bottle - instantly refreshing! So once we hit our room, we thought we'll rest for a bit then go down. I tried resting for a bit, but coudn't really sleep.We went down into the cold to get us one of those warm socks. It was freezing already. Saw Bryan Adams and Eagles belting out from some of the "Irish pubs" in the street. We came back up and settled in the cozy dining hall. Was a nice spacious hall - very cozy and homely feel. Can't remember what i ate- but must've been plain bread i think.Ate, read, discussed bout India and Bihar and state of Indian Politics and the amusing tale of how I was reading on a K2 expedition while on her way to Everest.... Saw Thamarseku and Mt. Everest today.( which one's which!!!)

EBC Trek: Day 3 - Acclimatisation at Namche Bazar

23rd October 2012:

The first day without a real destination.Woke up at 7-730 am I think. Got ready, had breakfast and i think it was finally 9 by the time we started. We had selected the smallest acclimatisation trek. The guide book said 30 minute hike to Everest View Hotel which according to the Guiness Book of world records is the highest hotel in the world.(almost 4000 metres i think).. so we trudged upwards. I took just one walking stick and didn't use it on the way up. Still the way up wasn't easy. Was a steep hike up.We met yesterday's Japanese couple and also some Swedes. The an Australian soloer who's a paramedic and some folks from Chennai.Trudged up to the hotel. Had a "false peak" moment when i thought a farmhouse on the way was the hotel only to realise that that was a mirage and the actual hotel is another 30 minute hike(atleast) away. argh! Came across the fist views of the beautiful Ama Dablam and Everest peeking (oh yes, surprise! here Everest is usually playing peek-a-boo behind other shorter peaks:)) So we finally reach the hotel and go to its roof top restaurant.



We are tired, dehydrated and famished.We decided to order a pot of hot chocolate. -some 460 bucks.Sat with the Australian dude- who had a solar panel strapped to his pack- interesting gadget to have in a electricity parched land and where every hour of charge costs a bomb. We snapped some pics of the beautiful view.


(The view from the rood top cafe reflected in the glass - nice shot taken by my trekmate)

The hot chocolate was divine, as was the price when we went to pay the bill-turns out it was exclusive of taxes- so we then paid 580 bucks!!!!5 star prices eh! Came back down faster(thankfully) and went to the room- left stuff- tried to rest for a bit. Meanwhile in the morn i had seen the sun and washed my socks and some underclothes and kept em in the sun. Ooh dry socks( oh yes they are RARE):) So we relaxed a bit and then went back down to finish shopping- Trekmate got a pair of long johns and a down jacket for 3500NR! (awesome bargain) and then went to the German bakery and freaked out on the chocolate donuts for 150 bucks a piece.The Canadian couple suggested to not have the apple pie. But i think we were settled on chocolate:)(yes yes...my trekking mate is a chocolate and nutella lover twoo!!!) Then we got ourselves a gas canister(650 NR) and some noodle packets and i went in search of masala for the cous cous(Good bye tabasco). Finally found a small local shop with a lady watching tv on her small portable thingy. She appeared grumpy at first and had to drive a hard bargain for the the masala and lump of garlic.But later warmed up and started talking bout business and India and religion and her diabetes and how they all move down to Kathmandu in December , when the valley gets covered with snow,leaving a skeletal staff at the lodge. Come back to the lodge read a bit, charge the various phones( at 100 NR per hour) and meet this guy called Rajeev who has done EBC 7-8 times. Apparently he gets kids from the US etc on this trek. He was aghast that i was carrying almost 15 kgs. Was trying to entice us to go via the Chola pass...but we passed the offer. He scared us too- what if something goes wrong and you have to descend- better to have a porter....luckily we ignored the scary pieces and listened to the rest:)

Oh and during breakfast- there was this Brit family who told us to skip lodging at Tengboche and stay lower at Debuche instead( coz not clean plus rats on the roofs all the time), provided we get the 3 pm prayers at the monastery which is supposed to be beautiful.....okay M'am advice taken!

EBC Trek: Day 4 - Namche Bazar to Tengboche/Debuche( 3700 metres)

24 October 2012

(Twiddling my thumbs on the phone notepad at the Revendale lodge watching noisy rich teenagers create a ruckus)

Road from our Khumbu resort towards Tengboche started the same way as Everest View. For a moment, when i thought with a sickening feeling in the pit of my tummy that we'd have to go the same steep way as the previous days Everest View Hotel path and that too WITH a bag-was a total FML moment. Stood at this fork to catch my breath thinking, NOT the left way( which leads to Everest View)...was a relief when someone pointed out the other way. Well true didn't know then whether the route would be steeper or otherwise. but when i KNOW the route is steep- squeamishness is inevitable!!. We had beautiful views of Ama Dablam and glimpses of Everest ( I somehow am falling in love with the beautiful Ama Dablam)


( The peak on the right is Ama Dablam and Mt. Everest peeks out on the right)

And of course parting views of the valley and a bird's eye view of Namche Bazar



It was uphill for a while then a more or less straight almost- ridge walk with a beautiful dip into the Dudh Kosi on the right and uncountable valleys if you turned around.On the path leaving Namche Bazaar you will be asked to make a donation for the upkeep of the path – I didn't' sidestep this request but most believe that they're already paying enough for the use of the path, both with my National Park Entrance Fee, TIMS permit. Then came a steep walk down. With every step, we kept thinking- - every step downhill now means a step uphill on the way back home..gulp. well after the downhill run and crossing the Dudhkosi and passing through another checkpost and so many villages and watching these indigenous turbine generators cum prayer bells , we started the arduous trek up , up and up!This uphill just didn't end and somehow seemed to be busy with a lot of people on this part of the route. Not too far from Tengboche, and i felt light rain on my bare arms. Horrorstruck, i loooked at my trekmate, who frowned his typical frown and said..thats not rain...looks more like hail...did he say HAIL...like HAIL! but then the hail was really snow falling. My first real snowfall in my life. was beautiful and yet progressively colder. By the time i reached the monastery( bang on time for the noon prayer), i was frozen -i ran into the warmth of the monastery, took out my fleece jacket and tried to zip it- my hands fumbled so much and were literally numb- took me what seemed like 10's of minutes before i could zip myself up. Also added an extra layer of wind and rain proof shell. We walked into the bakery but then decided against eating there as it was snowing insistently and we wanted to lodge at Debuche and not Tengboche. Thankfully, Debuche was a walk down- so finally appreciated the snow without having to huff and puff. We were the only ones on the trail except a couple of porters in the middle. We saw a few yaks lolling in the forests as did we spot a musk deer!

We just barged into the first lodge we came across- Revendale. Seemed decent at first. But then came the noise. The lodge was apparently the choice of a boisterous children's expedition , presumably from the UK. There was barely any water in the taps too. We immediately had hot chocolate.We watched as people pitched tents in the white courtyard shivering at the thought of people sleeping OUT THERE! We were laughing about something as we lay in our sleeping bags.Also talking about how the rock around the place seemed to made of limestones. Was probably a river bed at some point of time. After a while i felt uneasy as i i couldn't take a full breath. boy, that freaked me out. I honestly don't know what caused that, but i felt less constricted after i had zipped down my inner thermal( i had zipped up till my throat)and just let air circulate.But i also took quarter of a diamox for better measure coz come what may i did NOT want to walk back down and up again the next day! I felt better after dinner. Finally started the dal-bhat diet. I did feel a little skeptical of the next day. People usually go to Dingboche- but thats WAY too HIGH! we decided on Pheriche. Still that was a 400 metres jump....

EBC Trek: Day 5 - Debuche - Pheriche

24 October 2012

(As i write this, my teeth are chattering and lungs filled with yak-dung smoke in the warm and smoky dining hall at the ghost-lodge in Pheriche)

Woke up to see the ground covered in a thin layer of snow( will we be able to leave today!)..Clumsy me was a little skeptical - i fall on perfectly nice and dry gravelled ground..and this was snow! I think it was a good test for my Salomons:)...and they passed the test!...My first testy step onto the cold ground was a soft crunching sound which i totally loved!Phooey! i think i can do this:). Passed a lot of beautifully arranged prayer stones. The trees seemed closer and to be thinning out..This is the day that you go above the tree line and the geological landscape significantly and completely changes. When you step out of the lodge at Tengboche/ Debuche, you are still surrounded by rhododendron forest and as you walk, and as the hours pass, the trees turn to brown bushes, and brown bush into grey rock, and grey rock into dust.The mountain peaks seem closer, as if the whole trail got squeezed. Today it really sinks in you ARE really walking towards the roof of the world.

The thud thud of choppers heard yesterday while we walked from Namche to Debuche could be heard. Passed a beautiful bridge- overlooking fields this time..the scenery was beautiful...again up up and up:)..passed a lot of prayer stones.. Stopped in a village and cooked cous-cous in the open.Boy it was windy!- ate straight from the pot....hate having to wash vessels:D.....but was good- to eat like that, in the open, surrounded by beauty and a few kids practicing some martial arts, a few horses in an enclosure right next to us)



The cold barren beautiful grey-white mountains seem to be nearer....began to feel the thinning air....met a lot of people -all headed to Dingboche- that's what the porter recommended:)....we stay adamant not wanting to take a larger altitude jump than necessary and split ways to Pheriche.( Just after crossing the river the last time, go rightwards to Dingboche and leftish towards Pheriche)....see some sole houses on the way...who wouldn't wanna live up here:)...there is barely any vegetation now...we've risen above the tree line ( which means lesser options to pee unseen). Barely any people on this route- mostly porters heading back to Tengboche presumably( Tengboche thanks to the monastery, is somehow a cultural centre in this region, despite the number of its residents being in the lower hundreds). SO we keep walking in the tree parched land wondering what happened to whom ( and praying that we don't have to be air lifted like that) when we hear the constant thud thud of choppers flying in and out, above our heads. We can see the clouds coming in and walk quicker- don't wanna be out in the dark and cold now.

We have to walk down down down into what seems like a valley and across the stream and that's where Pheriche is. It does seem like Pheriche is ON a dried up river bed.Around are those beautiful mountains again- they feel even more closer and colder...I think we walked in here at 3-4 p.m. Seems like a ghost town except the occasional chopper overhead. Few people milling around. In all these days, this is probably the least number of people we've seen. Boy! Pheriche does seem unpopular. Kinda happy at first- all that noise at Revendale, Debuche was a ear-sore:). However, after freshening up, as we hit the warm dining hall, we realise that the only other person present is an old Korean trekkker and his porter. Hmmph. I realise also that there is NO network here. Ask the host f they have a phone- she shows me her cellphone and a window sill. Says 200 bucks for a call( WHATTT)... well i gotta call my ma! SO thing is you have to maneuver around the window sill in the kitchen and there is just one spot where you get ONE bar to make a phone call..However somehow- unable to get a tone. So i bring out my iphone- and after 30 mins of trying to hit the sweet spot, Bullseye! iPhone balanced on the windowsill above the kitchen platform , i'm sitting crouched on the platform, my ear stuck to the window:).....the porters and villagers who've come to socialise with the lodge girls-hosts giving me the incredulous stare- IS SHE MENTAL! Yeah i am...i need to tell ma where i am!...Inform ma i wont be reachable for 2 days atleast- and thats how its done:)...i sure am glad nobody took a pic of that:)
Enter the dining hall back to acrid smoke. Snow's falling , its dark already, COLD and to turn up the heat they let the smoke into the room rather than letting it out from the indigineous chimney! just perfectly brilliant! We sit and talk to the porter about his hard life, about his son who he's sent off to Darjeeling, India to study and how he visits him once in a while. Talks about his newborn son. The Korean trekker talks about his treks.They have actually finished EBC and on their way back( Apparently that's what most people do- they stay at Dingboche on the way up and Pheriche on the way down). We try to take tips from the porter about how we should plan the next few days. Earlier we were thinking of setting off the very next day to Lobuche, which is a huge 600 m jump. But the porter advices us to acclimatise. We dilly dally between setting off for Lobuche since we're feeling great anyway and halt at Dughla and Lobuche the next day, or acclimatise one day and then head straight to Lobuche the day after. We flip so many times...the last thing before we sleep off is stay back, acclimatise and then to Lobuche. Temperature check- MINUS EIGHT degreees....brrrrrrrrrr