Trekking from Lukla to Phakding part 2
Day 3: Tuesday 3rd January 2006
Birding in Nepal
Along the way I only observed three species of birds. There were House Sparrows at Lukla as well as Common Ravens all along the way. I identified Chestnut Thrush on a fence post just before we arrived at the lodge. This is another new species for me.
Yak Trains
Along the way we passed a number of yak trains. These animals were taking goods along the track. They are quite a bit smaller than I had anticipated with their heads not even coming up to my shoulder. We also passed many houses and lodges along the way as we passed through each small village on the route. The small farms near the villages grow a variety of fruits and vegetables, including potatoes, spinach, cabbage, silver beet, carrots and apples. Every small patch of earth is utilised to grow food. All cultivation is by hand.
Along the way I noticed a small nursery growing trees, each plastic tube holding a 5cm silver fir tree. There is no evidence to my eye of deforestation but it must be a problem keeping up with wood for heating and cooking. Tourism just adds to this pressure. The village we are staying in tonight actually has its own hydro-electric generator.
Suspension Bridges
During the walk today we crossed over two suspension bridges. One was about 30 metres long and the other was about 80 metres in length. There was plenty room to pass other people coming the other way. Passing a yak train on a bridge is not recommended, though I did get caught doing this once without any major hassle. Crossing the bridges did not cause me any hassles either. I thought I might have a problem. For me, the secret was to keep moving with the eyes firmly fixed ahead, not looking down too much.
Trekking from Lukla to Phakding
Day 3: Tuesday January 3rd 2006
The Start of our Trek in Nepal
After two cups of tea in the Peregrine lodge near the airstrip we set off on the first leg of the trek to the village of Phakding. This took three hours and ten minutes and went steadily downhill for much of the way. Lukla is at an altitude of 2886 metres (9500 feet) but Phakding is lower at 2640 metres. At one point near the river one is even lower and there is about a 100 metre climb up to the village.
Hitting the Wall
This last part was the first real test of climbing at altitude. I did remarkably well until dropping to the rear of the group for the last 30 minutes. I felt that I “hit the wall†about ten minutes from the lodge but pushed on through. Two cups of tea and a lunch of spinach and potato were much appreciated. After lunch we were allocated our rooms. We have a million dollar view from our humble room.
Introduction to Toilets in Nepal
Our room has two single beds with very thin mattresses and room for our bags on the floor. We were pleased to have a flushing toilet just five steps from our room. Along the way we had to use a very smelly squat toilet. That’s fine for the men but not as pleasant for the ladies.
Great Weather
The weather has been magnificent with a bright blue sky and a temperature of about 17 degrees. There has been enough breeze to cool our sweaty bodies. Sunscreen will be essential in the thinner air here.
Landing at Lukla Airport, Nepal
Day 3: Tuesday 3rd January 2006.
Landing at Lukla
The approach to Lukla airport is exciting and somewhat unnerving. The approach is down a steep sided valley for about ten minutes. The final approach technique is to do a sharp left hand turn and DIVE at a steep angle straight at a cliff, or so it seems at first. The screaming engines roar their protest, a sound reminiscent of diving planes in all those old WW2 movies. The plane levels out, touches down and suddenly comes to a halt. One has landed; spontaneous applause from all on board.
Lukla Airstrip
The Lukla airstrip is amazing. It was built in the 1960s under instructions from Sir Edmund Hillary. When landing or taking off there is no room for error. It is 351 metres long (1150 feet) and rises over 100 feet (30 metres) from the bottom to the top, giving it an angle of about 10 degrees. (Compare this with the road above the Heysen Tunnels in the Adelaide Hills at 7 degrees.)
Exhilarating Stuff
The airstrip was built by hand by several hundred Sherpas, the final preparation for the first flight was done by them all linking arms and dancing on the surface for several days in order to pound down the bare earth. It worked, but today it is an asphalt strip. The sudden stop is very necessary; there is a sheer rock face reaching several hundred metres upwards at the end! The plane taxis to a stop and turns on to a 50m x 50m tarmac. Taking off is just as hazardous; it is then a downhill slope. The planes become airborne only metres from the end, with a 600 metre drop to the valley below. Exhilarating stuff!
Sherpas Move the Immovable
When I returned home I did some extra research on the topic of the airport. Some of that information is included in the above paragraph. I discovered one interesting fact about its construction. Edmund Hillary was not happy with the compactness of the earth, so he gathered all the Sherpas used in the construction and asked them to do a celebration dance – for 2 days! The constant pounding of their feet did the trick, but they were tired of dancing by the end of the second day. They also had a number of immoveable boulders in the way. The solution was easy; they just dug large holes under the boulders, pushed them into the holes and covered them with earth.
Further reading
Kathmandu to Lukla, Nepal
Day 3: Tuesday 3rd January 2006
Flight to Lukla
Our early morning call was at 4:30am. We showered and dressed and went downstairs for breakfast at 5am. It was hard to eat adequately knowing the excitement building up within oneself. The anticipation of the flight into Lukla was also playing a little on my mind. I am also not used to eating at such an early hour. I had managed to get about five hours sleep but Rose said my snoring had kept her awake.
At 5:50am we were all ready to leave for the airport. The roads were much quieter but the drivers were just as crazy. The passage through the Domestic Airport was very smooth but we were all frisked three times. It is good that the local authorities are so thorough about security. We also had our bags searched.
Delay at Kathmandu Airport
We had about an hour’s wait for the airport at Lukla to clear of mist. The plane was small with 17 passengers and three crew members. The take off was smooth and the view from the window was spectacular all the way. It was a 40 minute flight to Lukla and I thought that it was quite reasonable except near the end when I was pleased that I had not eaten more than a light breakfast of fruit. On the other hand all of the other trekkers thought that the flight was very rough and were not looking forward to the return flight at the end of the trek.
Yeti Airlines
Yes – you read correctly. We flew Yeti Airlines to Lukla. The planes they use here in Nepal are small STOL (Short Take Off and Landing – for more information click here). Other planes cannot land on some of the air strips in Nepal as they need longer runways. They are cramped, noisy and not recommended for those with claustrophobic tendencies! The aisle is narrow, the seats seem only just big enough for the very thinnest of people and if you are tall, like James from our trekking group – be sure to get an aisle seat to stretch out your legs. Otherwise your knees end up around your ears.
The WOW Factor
As I stepped out of the plane at Lukla my immediate response was “WOW!” The sight of the towering mountains on every side is almost overwhelming. Tears to the eyes stuff. Dreams come true! I’m here in the heart of the Himalayas.
Preparing for Trekking
Day 2: Monday January 2nd 2006
Birding in Kathmandu
We returned to the Shangri La Hotel for lunch. The three of us, including Kath, the trekker from Melbourne, had lunch in the beautiful hotel garden. During the lunch we enjoyed the sunshine while we waited and while we ate. It was about 18 degrees C and very pleasant. I was delighted to observe several Rose Ringed Parakeets flying overhead. I have also seen House Crows and Common Ravens around the streets of Kathmandu. I haven’t seen many birds on this trip so far. I hope this is about to change.
Dodgy power supplies
After lunch I went to the hotel Business Centre to send several emails home. The power went off briefly for a few seconds while I was there but I didn’t lose any of my email message. I guess the power here can be a little dodgy at times. Meanwhile Rose went to the street nearby to do some shopping.
Trekking group meeting
At 3pm we had a meeting with our guide Ananta and all of the other trekkers. The other six trekkers had recently arrived from Pokhara. They had all been on a six day trek of the Annapurna region near Pokhara. Only one other trekker is about my age; all the others are in their twenties or early thirties. My immediate impression is that they are all very pleasant.
Preparing for trekking
We received our duffle bags, a very warm parka and a sleeping bag, all on loan from Peregrine Travel, our travel agent. I realised immediately that I would have to trim down what I took on the trek to the barest minimum. I will have to balance this with making sure I have enough warm clothing with me. Before writing this I did a pre-trek pack and it is not as bad as I thought at first. I will be able to fit in everything I need without leaving behind any essentials. Being able to do some washing along the way will be handy. What we didn’t need for the trek we were able to leave locked away in our suitcases in a secure area in the hotel. I also left some items like cash, traveller’s cheques and passport in the hotel safe.
Some doubts
At the meeting I did have a few moments of “what am I about to do?†Will I cope with the walking, the climbing and the altitude? It is reassuring to have Rose here with me. It is also very good to have the entire organisation done for us, things like transport, fees, accommodation and food. Still, it will be a huge physical and mental challenge. It will be a genuine test of all that I have and all that I am. The dream of visiting this area, a dream of more than 25 years, is about to become reality.