:: zone3 ::

Attempting to get to Lukla

The plan was to leave Kathmandu with the group that I was hiking with and fly to Lukla. It was an early start, leavign the hotel at 0500 for the 0615 flight.

My duffel bag went through the x-ray machine at the entry to the airport. The x-ray operator started pointing at it and asking who's it was. The most dangerous thing in that bag was a Leatherman and it was my bag to be checked, so wondered what it could be.
The operator showed the screen and pointed at what looked like a short ammo belt. I was pretty confused at what was in my bag that would look like an ammo belt, so I offered to unlock it and let them look.
As I got my keys out and went to unlock it, the operator decided it was fine and waved me along.

With the PA in the waiting room being about the worst I've heard, boarding calls were by someone at the gate screaming "Yeti" (our airline), "Lukla".
There were 3-4 airlines, with a couple of planes each all going to Lukla at the same time, so the gate was quickly swamped. We were herded onto small buses, one per plane. The half dozen or so buses started their engines then waited. Suddenly all the buses were off, racing to their planes like they might take off if we didn't make it in time.

All of the planes were small twin prop in the 18-30 seat range. We boarded ours and got ready to leave, only to be told Lukla airport was closed. It was back to the terminal to play the waiting game.

After a couple of hours, there a call for Lukla for the other airlines, Lukla was open but our airline had all of it's planes on other flights. The airport seemed to operate with pretty fluid scheduling...

Late morning we were rushed to another little bus and raced to a plane for another attempt. Just after settling aboard we were told Lukla was shut again, back to waiting.

Mid-afternoon again another attempt was made. the same plane as last time. Interesting with a couple of it's seats sitting outside it.

Plane Seats


As we sat on the bus outside the plane, 3-4 airline staff and the pilots debated the weather. After about 20 minutes we were bussed back to the terminal. Our last attempt for the day.

Getting to Lukla

The next morning, the gate was again quickly swamped and the half dozen or so buses loaded. Today the buses were lined in a Grand Prix fasion, and with a blast from an airport horn they were off and racing to their planes.

The little planes bound for Lukla took off in quick succession. The short flight had amazing views of the Himalayas.

Himalayas from the air


Lukla has a short uphill runway with the approach being towards a cliff-face, making for one for the more fun landings I've done.

Lukla Runway


Was now in the Himalayas. After breakfast and a short stop in Lukla, it was off for the first of the hiking. Three hours to Phakding, overall descending 200m, although it was a consistent up and down.

The track was well formed, the up and down parts were mostly steps. We walked surrounded by smaller mountains, every now and again glimpses of the alpine peaks in between, among the clouds.

Peaks in the Clouds


After three hours we arrived at Phakding and ready for lunch after a solid morning walk. The rooms at the lodge were nicer than I expected. I expected very basic, with shared (most likely squat) toilets. Turned out the twin share rooms were simple, but had ensuite (flush) toilets, a good start.
Filled in the afternoon with a walk up a small trek behind the village, at the top found the local school. Complete with 6-8 rooms it must have supported other villages as well.

On to Namche

Namche was to be a six hour hike, climbing 800m to 3400m. The first three hours to lunch was largely up and down, overall gaining about 200m. The hiking, like the day before, was a slow pace with regular breaks for water, about 5min every 20min.

Nepal is mostly Hindi, however many of the people in the Himalaya area are Buddhist. Along the way were often Buddhist Stupa and prayer wheels in each small village.

Unlike trekking from years earlier, we didn't have to ford the rivers, even the smallest stream had a bridge. Small spans with solid steel bridges, larger ones with impressive swig bridges adorned with Buddhist prayer flags.

Bridge over Stream

Prayer Flags in the Wind


The constant hiking up and down with a pack was a lot more work than I expected, which I largely put down to the altitude. The distance we covered to lunch in three hours was one I could run (over flat at sea level) in under 13min (Round the Bays, a run over twice as far around Wellington, is far easier). Although the distance was short, I was shattered and lunch a great break. With a large lunch, I was starting to feel better and ready for the next three hours.

Shortly after lunch we were following a river along the rocky banks. It dawned on me as walking, the Himalaya scenery was very similar to the South Island, NZ. With elements from the West Coast bush and the higher regions of the Canterbury plains. The difference was Himalayas were a much larger scale.

Home Look


The pleasant river walk gave way to the climbing part of the hike to Namche. Hiking constantly uphill for about 1.5km, gaining about 600m, hard work at 3000m+. Getting to Namche for the night was a welcome break at this point.

Then the disappoint part, had a couple of hours break then dinner, nearing the end of dinner went to get up and fainted a few metres from where I'd sat. Think the cause was a couple of reason, mainly due to not eating enough earlier not the altitude that I was now at.
The guide of course was of course concerned, and while talking to him promptly fainted again. That sealed it for the guide, in case it was the onset of AMS (altitude sickness) or worse, I was to head down the next day and then back to Kathmandu...
The guide and his assistants were great at checking on me often and several of the group were doing the same (including getting some drinks, etc). Arrangements were made by our guide for one of the Asst guides to take me down in the morning.
As this post is already a short novel, see the separate post on the cause of the fainting, etc, How Not to Climb a Mountain.

Down to Phakding

Woke up the next morning feeling fine, actually really good. The only sore bit was by butt, it had broke my fall the night before.

What had been a tough climb climb the day before was a snap when going down. On the smoother parts of the trail getting up to my normal walking pace of 6km/h. Think the Asst. guide, considering the night before, was a little worried and kept saying 'slowly, slowly' and wanted to break every 15min.

After about an hour we'd got the were the group had lunch the day before. The pair of us continued to Phakding for lunch and to stay the night.

Didn't get to stay in the same place as last time as it was full. This one had squat toilets, and I thought I was going to get to avoid them...

Back to Lukla

A cooler morning for the walk to Lukla. Was meant to be a 3.5 hours, with the lower temp was able to get a good pace going and took just over two hours (a few less breaks and could have trimmed more off).
Getting close to Lukla , got to watch the little planes fly in and out. Once at Lukla was largely killing time until the flight the next day.

Lukla Closed

The next day, yet again the weather stopped flights in and out of Lukla. In the end spent a very slow day at the lodge watching to see if it would clear.

Back to Kathmandu

Woke in the morning to see clear skys and see planes going in and out the little airport.

The security check for checked bags at Lukla consisted of putting on a sticker saying 'Security Checked' and for passengers stamping the boarding pass 'Security Checked'.



Overall lesson learnt on how not to do a hike and the energy needed once up a bit higher. Will have to plan some day trips around Kathmandu with my extra time here and start thinking about re-attempting Everest Base Camp.


More Photos from the trip