Mount Everest -Part 1:
The climbing season opens on Everest in the
60th anniversary year of the conquering of the world’s biggest
mountain and together with the recent aircraft crashes leading to fatalities at
Lukla it reminded me of my trip to Everest in 2008. Like the vast majority of trekkers I landed
at Lukla’s Tenzing-Hillary airport. The dirt strip, although tarmacked in 1999,
is still a challenge to land on and we had an early morning call to get to the
airport in Kathmandu in order to avoid the impending mist and cloud. The
landing strip is only 1500ft long and 60ft wide and the runway ends in a blank
mountain wall with an uphill gradient of 12%. Only short take off and landing aircraft are
able to land, overshot and you crash into the hillside, undershoot and you
plough into the hillside below. There are no navigational aids and the bottom
of the runway is lower than the top resulting in some pilots suffering spatial
disorientation. As you can imagine every successful landing gets applause!
Whilst we all knew the dangers we had every
confidence in the pilot and although there was only fifteen people on board we
had a glamouress airhostess who handed out mints to calm our nerves for take
off. The flight was truly spectacular over the Himalayan mountains. The valleys
far below the ice line green and lush with intricate paths and animal tracks
zig zagging from nowhere.
The danger was not significant to us at the
time and it was only later that we heard of the difficulties the pilot faced
and the possible consequences. The real surprise was how small the runway
actually is and the hut that serves as arrivals and departures. The security
was immense and put Stansted to shame! Sniffer dogs and armed police watched us
descend the plane and then a rigorous check on our baggage took place.
The amount of people around the airport was
a daily feature as the planes brought in not only trekkers but also much needed
produce and supplies. In the climbing season the number of planes and people
treble and the airport is a honeypot of movement.
Landing at Lukla is another world. The
crowds of males waiting in hope to get a portaging job peer through the fencing
and are held back from harassing arrivals by police. Getting a job as a porter
is a lucrative opportunity and the Sherpa’s are well known for their immense
ability to carry huge loads for long distances. Our porters were young but
experienced men from the local village who were recruited by the trekking
company. Some of them had ambitions to climb to the summit of Everest all of
them had young families and relied upon the work to survive. The village of
Lukla was all but a single street with alley ways spreading out into the hills.
This village really is the gateway to the
Himalayas ….the main street welcoming travellers with food and drink and lots
of hotels to sleep and prepare. You can buy a range of products and climbing
gear in addition to what you could buy in your average corner shop back in the
UK.
We spent little time in the village as we
had a long day ahead walking to our next overnight stop in our five day trek to
base camp. Passing through remote hamlets, walking across swing bridges
suspended above deep valleys, watching the landscape change and all the while
trying to adjust to the change in altitude.
The start of an amazing adventure
to the top of the world.
Coming soon ….Everest Part 2 …the journey
to Base camp
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