It's Monday the 27th and we're heading to the airport at 5am after packing things up. Our plan is to fly to Lukla and begin our trek but the airport there has been closed due to weather so our excitement is tempered for the time being.
As it turns out, our flight is a go and we're in the small turboprop by 6:30 and on our way. The flight was 45 minutes and almost immediately we were entertained by views of Himalayan mountains. Granted the ones we saw were probably no taller than 20,000 ft or so but the mountaineering juices were definitely flowing and our team was excited to be out of the city.
The Lukla airport is pretty famous and it's worth checking out some YouTube videos. The runway is extremely short and considerably sloped upward in the landing direction to aid in slowing down the planes before they hit the mountain at the end. Our landing was uneventful and from inside the plane, it didn't feel out of the ordinary. It wasn't until getting out and taking a look that we got the true feeling of it.
We enjoy a 4 hour trek to Phakding and are surprised at the number of trekkers on the trail. Of course there are people from all over the world arriving here for the season and the people watching is good.
The trail follows the Khumbu valley through small villages where local people mix with visitors. Our day packs seem puny in comparison to the huge loads that porters carry along the route. A recent study documented that porters, especially Sherpa porters, can carry a significant percentage of their body weight. An average load is 70% or so and many porters can carry 130% of their body weight or more. Considering the small stature of these people, it's amazing to watch them travel along the trail with a 100# load supported only by a strap on their head.
The architecture is primarily stone buildings which look like they're built to last a century or more. Villages are a mix of businesses, homes and fields bordered by stone walls. It seems we're between growing seasons now where the winter leeks and cabbage are being replaced by potato planting. We've learned the composted fertilizer is a combination of human waste, Yak and cow dung and leaves.
Arriving at our lodge, we settle in for a meal and rest. No real exploring to do this afternoon except for around the property since we're on the far side of town. It sure was nice to get some exercise today and stretch our legs.
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