"Mt Everest - Because it's there" (Mallory)

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HIMALAYA - abode of the snows
SAGARMATHA - brow of the ocean
(both Sanskrit)

16 Jan - VERY excited, I have my Mountain Flight today over the Himalayas including the mighty Mount Everest. Get a taxi to the airport at 6.15am and do the usual airport formalities but on a smaller, more informal / Nepali type way. I check-in with YETI AIRLINES (!!!!) for my flight which is due to depart at 7.30am. However, the airport is shrouded in mist so flight is delayed. Meanwhile, the airport is filling up with tourists for mountain flights and wee, old Nepali women on domestic flights with the army of cheery cleaners keeping the departure lounge spotless.

Eventually board and take off at 10am. It's a 30-seater plane but only takes 20 passengers so that everyone gets a window seat. Other than two western couples, the rest of the passengers are Korean, Japanese and Chinese.

Great views of Kathmandu city and Kathmandu Valley once we take-off. My best view of the Himalayas is once we swing round. However, before that, I get my 2 mins in the cockpit with the pilot!!! He quickly explains the key mountains and then I see it...the mighty Mt Everest or Sagarmatha standing at a whopping 8848m (29,028ft), the world's highest peak. I am totally in awe of this magnificent mountain as well as the whole panoramic view of snowy peaks above the clouds. This really is the roof-top of the world, an awesome and unforgettable sight which is impossible to capture with my wee, pink camera.

No other country can rival Nepal's concentration of high peaks...in the whole world there are only 14 mountains rising above 8000m (26,000ft) with eight of these in Nepal and I've just seen them all! The Everest Mountain Flight takes an hour and we cruise at 25,000ft approximately 5 nautical miles from Mt Everest. As well as Mt Everest, we see Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu as well as the Tibetan Plateau. The Yeti Airline hostess is extremely helpful and polite pointing out all the peaks. Amid the crisp, sparkling, snowy peaks they almost feel within touching distance. Why on earth do so many climbers want to put their lives at risk though and climb these mountains???? Well, see George Mallory's quote above! An unforgettable experience with a certificate and photos to prove it.

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Photos

And the pilot was quite cute too...
Cockpit too small to take a picture of him tho!

Comments

[Geraldine]

Looks amazing!