Everest Base Camp trek, Day 0-1 - Kathmandu to Lukla to Phakding

---

For Eid al Fitr break, my friend talked me into joining her for the Everest Base Camp trek our usual travel group was doing. She and I had previously done the yoga trip to Nepal in December and she had been excited to do this even then. I was a bit nervous, but I said yes and proceeded to do some very half hearted training. Of course, about 10 days before, she got reassigned to lead another trek, Kili, which I refused at this point in time - very different mental preparation!

Packing!

In addition to the physical aspect, we also had to prepare our packing due to weight restrictions: 10kg for the porters to carry and 15kg total for the small plane and helicopter limits. I was one of only two people who stayed in range (10.3 kg for my main pack and 4.9kg for my day pack). My packing list below:


• 2 hiking pants
• 3 leggings (2 for under hiking pants)
• 2 normal socks,
• 2 semi-thermal socks (Columbia),
• 3 thick thermal socks,
• underwear for 10 days,
• 3 long sleeved moisture wicking shirts,
• 2 thermal shirts,
• 1 semi thermal shirt (Danskin from Walmart),
• 1 wool overshirt for tea houses and sleeping,
• 1 fleece,
• 1 heat reflective coat (Columbia),
• 1 ski jacket (Roxy, for hike to Kala Pattur),
• 0C sleeping bag,
• water bladder,
• water flask (filled with hot water on last 4 days and put in sleeping bag for warmth),
• sunblock, lip balm,
• wet wipes,
• two toques,
• 1 heat reflective head band,
• 3 balaclavas,
• 2 cloth headbands,
• gloves,
• hiking poles,
• sneakers,
• Columbia hiking boots,
• rain over pants
• rain jacket
• cashmere pashmina
• light kaftan for Kathmandu
• electrolytes, immodium, Advil
• chocolate bars
• power bank, adapter, charging cables
• GoPro, camera (which I did not use)
• sunglasses (polarized especially for upper elevations where no trees and lots of snow)
• journal


Flight to Kathmandu

Fortunately, I knew 3 other people in our group of 18 and we left Dubai Friday afternoon. We were supposed to land in Kathmandu at 7pm. From my window seat, I had noted a pretty cool thunderstorm in the distance - you know I love thunderstorms - but I did not realize it was over the city. Our pilot came on to let us know that we were circling due to the bad weather, and if we did not land in the next hour or so we would be diverted. Diverted we were, to Lucknow, India. We sat on the plane while they refueled; soon after, we were on our way back and were finally allowed to land. After getting through immigration, getting our SIM cards, and some water, we finally got to our hotel at 1:30am. I just wanted to freshen up and get sleep. Finally, I got my own beautiful private room at 2am, washed my face, and set my alarm for 4:30 am.

Flight to Lukla

We were given a very basic breakfast as we made our way to the airport for our 6am flight to Lukla. The airport was a bit chaotic as many were waiting for their own domestic flights. We actually were split into two groups - five people and a guide were on one flight, while the rest of us had our own private plane, along with our guide Sudarsan (who was actually our guide on my first Nepal trip, so it was nice to see him again). We were quickly checked in, including them checking our total luggage weight (we were 35kg over the limit - which cost money, but not that much). We were then quickly pushed through security and immediately out to our plane via a small bus, which quickly picked up our luggage in a tiny trailer they attached to the back. Then we were boarding a small plane from the back, each of us with a window seat, a plastic separating us from the pilots. We took off and it felt like something between a helicopter and a plane. Soon, we were flying over Kathmandu then into the hills before finally getting closer and closer to the mountainous area. The flight was pretty nice, but it was a little bumpy as we got into the mountains and soon we were flying right up next to them! (I had flashbacks to the movie "Alive" - "Are we supposed to fly this close to the mountains?").

We landed at the World's Most Dangerous Airport. Lukla's Tenzing Hillary airport has a very short runway which slopes uphill on approach. So, it was a quick stop as soon as we touched down, with a bit of hard braking, jumping, and then finally turning into the small apron area to quickly unload. Flights are constantly going back and forth. Indeed, while we waited for our bags, the rest of our group arrived on another plane just behind us. I think they can only accommodate two small planes at once. Our guides said the porters would grab our bags while we walked to the nearby tea house to have some tea (the first time we tried the delicious lemon ginger honey tea) and rest before starting our journey. From here we could see the flights take off, this time going downhill - so crazy!

Lukla to Phakding

After tea, we verified that all our luggage was there and we met our porters. Our three guides (Sudarsan, Soojan, and Sudip) gave us a briefing for general things to keep in mind and the plan for the day. Then we were on our way, stopping briefly at the top of the runway to record the new incoming flights. Today we were actually going down in elevation to our destination, Phakding. The views were already amazing. The start of the trip is heavily forested and green. There are plenty of places to get food, water, and even souvenirs along the way. We stopped a small temple and constantly passed by prayer wheels. When we passed the inscripted prayer stones, we were instructed to stay to the left. It was already spiritual and the weather was perfect. I just wore my Danskin long sleeved shirt with light hiking pants. We also walked over 2-3 suspension bridges, which were fun. We were passed by donkeys carrying supplies up and down the well maintained trail.

After a few hours, we saw our destination village, just across the river and the last suspension bridge of the day. We had a short walk up hill after the river and stayed at the Hotel Sherpa. I was given a different roommate and we got along very well for the rest of the trip. Our room was basic: a single bed each and no heat. The tea room down stairs was nice and we hung out there before and after dinner. Some people went on the acclimatisation hike to the monastery above; it had started raining just as we arrived and I was wiped, so I stayed back to chill. Due to the long flight from Dubai the day before and the long day today, we all went to bed pretty early.



Day 1: Lukla to Phakding, 8km, 2800m to 2600m elevation

---

Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Fantastic hiking
What a great trip. Thanks for taking us along.