Everest Base Camp Trek Day 5 Tengboche To Dingboche

Passing by the first stupa that lies at the entrance to the town of Dingboche during a snowy afternoon.

Intro: The trek from Tengboche to Dingboche turned out to be one of my favorites, not only of this Everest Base Camp adventure, but of all the hikes I had ever embarked on.

The early morning view across the town of Tengboche, with the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayan mountains ignited by the sun.

Some say that certain adventures can change not only who you are, but your entire outlook on life. I’ll take things a step further and say that certain treks, and even specific trails, can turn your whole world upside down. I look back at day 5 of my Everest Camp trek, when I hiked from the small town of Tengboche to Dingboche, as one of those unforgettable journeys. I can’t say that i’m a seasoned hiker or travel photographer just yet, but in my brief year or so of trying, that 11km journey was one of my absolute favorites.

The towering peak of Mount Everest, as viewed along the trail from Tengboche to Dingboche.

I’m still in awe that, although we were at an elevation of 4,000+ meters, and 50+ kilometers airplane ride from the nearest road, there was still so much life in these Himalayan mountains. Aside from reaching the base camp itself, I thought I had seen it all these first few days along the Everest Base Camp trek.

From spectacular vistas, no matter where I looked, and friendly locals around every corner, I felt like I was discovering more about myself and who I wanted to be on this trip than ever before. Could things get any better? Little did I know what awaited me along the hike from Tengboche to Dingboche.

Porters carrying immense wooden boards through the snow towards the next village, probably to be used in construction.

Rather than try and explain it in words, I want to let the images do the talking (be sure to check out the full gallery down below). But before leaving you with this photo essay, I would like to highlight a few things:

• Heading outside of my hotel in Tengboche extra early and hiking up a nearby hill to watch the sun ignite the peaks of the Himalayas was truly remarkable. I felt like the only person in that town, while everyone else was still asleep or slowly getting up, and was reminded that it really pays to start the day early.
• There was an adorable puppy “guarding” the entrance of Hotel Himalayan when I sneaked outside in the middle of the night for a photo session. He was still there in the morning and came by to see what I had in my camera backpack. Sadly, I didn’t have any treats for him, but much to the chagrin of Charlene, I let the little guy nibble on the head of our giraffe mascot :).
• Something about Tengboche just felt magical to me. Maybe it was witnessing the prayer session at Tengboche Monastery in the morning, or looking out across the town with the Himalayan mountains in the background. I’ll never forget the views on that day. In some ways, Tengboche was my favorite town on the entire Everest Base Camp trek.
• It was another gorgeous day of trekking. at least the first half. The hike from Tengboche to our lunch stop was filled with river crossings along wooden bridges, climbing up large steps through colorful gateways, standing on the edge of the trail as oxen passed by, and the always present (but never tiring) views of the Himalayas.
• My Everest Base Camp trekking guide Ram and I passed by a metal bridge that had unfortunately collapsed several years ago. I’m not sure what I was more amazed by – the site of the broken bridge dangling over the Imja Kohla River, or how so much metal was transported to such high elevations!
• As sunny and warm as the first half of the trek was, the weather turned completely the opposite after we had lunch and headed towards Dingboche. Ram and I were first met with a cloudy sky, followed by…snow! Thinking that the second half of the trek was going to be like the first, I had stayed in a base layer and light jacket, with regular travel pants versus my waterproof one.
• The light snow quickly turned into a heavy downfall. Coming from sunny Los Angeles, this was like a revelation to me. While the porters that passed us by appeared like this was just another day at work, I was mesmerized with the drastic change in weather. Huge amounts of snow continued to drop from the sky as we slowly and carefully made our way to Dingboche. It looked like there wouldn’t be any more sun for the rest of the day.
• Since there was no stoppage in sight regarding the snow fall and we had passed the treeline which provided any form of cover, I had no opportunity to get my waterproof jacket out of my backpack. I was already completely covered in snow anyway, so there was no sense putting away a wet hoodie sweater. If you look at one of the photos of me, you’ll see how my solar panel charger was completely covered in snow as well.
• One of the most surreal sights I’ve ever witnessed was when we were about 30 minutes away from Dingboche. A herd of what appeared to be yaks were grazing in the snow-covered grass. Everything was painted white, and they looked like mythical creatures out of a science fiction movie.
• Although I could barely see past 50ft or so and my camera was covered in snow, I continued to shoot away. There was no way I wanted to miss capturing the scenery around me. It was a risky move, however, as if water got inside my camera, then I wouldn’t be able to take any more photos on the rest of the Everest Base Camp trek with my DSLR. Yikes!
• During stretches along the route from Tengboche to Dingboche, we didn’t encounter a single other soul. I was never concerned about my safety, thanks to having an amazing guide, but at times I felt a tad bit nervous and humbled, like we were two explorers trailblazing a new path, completely at the mercy of Mother Nature.
• After arriving at our tea house in Dingboche and having a sheltered, dry place to relax, I enjoyed some warming tea, which was the perfect way to end one of my favorite hikes ever!

Trying to stay warm as the snow starts to fall during our trek between Tengboche and Dingboche.

EVEREST BASE CAMP TREKKING DETAILS
Day: 5 of 12
Start: Tengboche (3,860 meters)
End: Dingboche (4,530 meters)
Elevation change: +670 meters
Distance: 10.8 kilometers
Time: 6 hours, 30 minutes

TOP THREE TIPS

• 1: Be sure to have your waterproof jacket and pants ready, there’s a good chance it might rain or snow.
• 2: Always get right of way to animals and porters, most of them are carrying a good amount of items on their back.
• 3: Don’t forget to go slow and drink lots of water, you’re getting close to 5,000 meters which is where most trekkers start to get altitude sickness.