Lukla, the Gateway to the Everest

22nd of October 2013

The airport in Kathmandu is the lifeline to Lukla. It’s busy with locals and trekkers. Tourists feel like they’ve stepped back to the Sixties, though the TV screens remind them they’re still in the present.

My flight with Tara Air has no set departure time. We wait on the weather, more so than at other airports. Delays of days are not uncommon. The planes seat 14 and run on propellers. The runway at Lukla is 500 meters, one of the world’s most dangerous.

People fly to Lukla for the short trip, avoiding a long 7-day trek.

We’ve reached Lukla. Flying in, mountains surround us, almost level with the plane. The weather was good, but the flight was shaky. I don’t want to imagine it in bad weather.

We trekked three to four hours to Phakding. The paths are wide and walkable but stony. Stones are embedded in the soil, uneven and rough.

We crossed a suspension bridge damaged by a landslide this summer. I have a fear of heights, but I managed by focusing on my guide’s bag. Tomorrow, we head to Namche, where there will be four or five more bridges. Even with a fear of heights, you get used to it.

Now, I’m sitting on a terrace in Phakding. Two musicians play beside me. At first, I was the only listener, but now a cr

owd has gathered. It’s become a makeshift Phakding Party Central.