Day 3: Fly to Lukla
Hiking time: 3-4 hours
Difficulty Level: Easy
After final administration requirements, we’ll fly to Lukla. Weather permitting, this flight offers outstanding views of the eastern Himalayas. In Lukla, we meet and join our Sherpa staff, load the yaks and begin the ascent to Base Camp. Our first day is an easy walk to lush environs of Phakding, located on the Dudh Kosi river.
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Full Day One for our group started quite early, meeting around 5 am for breakfast. After a short trip to the airport, we all passed the bag weight test with flying colors and made our way to our two helicopters for the 45 minute ride from Kathmandu airport to Lukla, the home of “the most dangerous airport in the world”. Our group opted for the helicopter for better sightseeing and safety reasons. With a bright blue sky and sunglasses needed the entire ride, we got amazing views of the rolling green valleys and farmland below, with homes built on steep slopes everywhere. We also got an awesome long range view of the tallest mountain in the world, which feeds the economy in a major way in Kathmandu and all of the villages surrounding the big mountain. Both helicopters arrived without incident and after starting our respective Diomox prescriptions, off we went on our first of many days hiking to Base Camp.
Over the next ~6.5 miles, we got a broad taste of what we will experience over the ensuing week—trekkers from all nationalities, in all shapes and sizes, in groups large and small—all out to experience the culture and endure the elements of altitude, sun, rain and rocky terrain to see some incredible scenes that look like you are living in a postcard. A big surprise was the shear number of structures, restaurants, tea houses and shops along the way, with families, small children and dogs around every corner. The yaks and donkeys share our trail and humans yield to the animals and what they leave behind. We experienced some great lemon tea and a solid lunch to keep us going. Hydrating is a constant area of focus by the guides, as they know how important it is to keep everyone full of liquids. After a couple of suspension bridges that made us each pay loads of attention, we arrived at our first tea house of the trek. Rustic single rooms with private bath/shower combinations allowed us to take hot water showers after a long day on the trail. We had a few hours to regroup, access to our full bag of gear, and meet for a beer and dinner. We’re getting accustomed to the food and some are more exploratory than others.
Our guides did a fantastic job on Day One and set a good tone of high quality service for the rest of the week. We got our marching orders for Day Two after dinner and the team headed to rooms and relaxation/sleep at a pretty early hour. From every aspect, Day One was a smashing success. Can’t wait to see what Day Two brings!
-Donny Harrison