Finally to Lukkla

Friday March 11, 2011

3:01PM

Our prayers came true and we awoke to clear, calm skies which allowed us to finally make the flight to Lukkla. After a relatively short wait in comparison to the previous two days we boarded flight 601, which turned out to be a small, 2 engine turboprop plane that seated about 15 people. Ear plugs were handed out at the door and it quickly became apparent why, as the engines were super loud. I was seated next to the emergency exit door and noticed a draft. After ruling out the normal ventilation fans, my attention turned to the door which had a small amount of daylight peeking around the edges in a few places. 

The scenery outside steadily improved though-out the duration of the flight and by the time we had landed became outright breathtaking. My altimeter read just over 11,000ft, and since the cabin was obviously not pressurized, I suspect that this was reasonably accurate. As we crested ridge after ridge the terraced farms below gave way to rougher terrain and, ultimately, the mountains around us rose above our flying altitude. There was a brief view of Mt. Everest with it’s near constant plume of snow blowing off the summit before we rounded one last bend in the canyon. We crossed the final ridge before dropping down into Lukkla, and our clearance couldn’t have been more than 100ft as I could clearly make out crows sitting in the trees just below the plane. 

Immediately after the ridge the pilots hands went to the controls and we took a rather steep dive down the other side. Rather steep may not be the right description because the plane made the same high pitched sound I associate with Kamikaze dive bombers in the movies. Fortunately for us,  all went well and the pilot guided us in to the 12 degree runway, slammed on the breaks and safely parked us next to the airport to a hardy round of applause from all passengers on board. After this experience, I completely understood why the previous flight of the past 2 days had been canceled due to “ugly air”. 

Following a quick breakfast of Tibetan bread, honey and Nepali tea, we met our porters, 2 young guys probably around 16 years old, and headed up the valley steadily following the river. It’s hard to describe the terrain here. Sublime is a word that comes to mind. The river below is crystal clear blue and peaks  around us rise steeply for thousands of feet. Off in the distance larger peaks glow brightly as the sun reflects off their snowcapped summits. These mountains are far and away bigger than anything I have ever seen before and the ones that are visible are really only in the 6000m range. (For reference, Mt. Everest is 8800 meters.) 

Initially, I didn’t notice any ill effects of the rapid rise in elevation, but it became apparent once I started walking uphill. We started the day on relatively flat ground and then actually descended about a thousand feet or so over a couple of miles. I felt great....until we started heading back up the thousand feet we lost to our stopover in Monjo. Going up hill didn’t feel bad. There was just a noticeable increase in my normal exertional work of breathing as we steadily rose up and away from the river. 

When trekking in Nepal, you really don’t have to carry much of anything, which makes the going much easier. It’s well accepted to hire a porter in Lukkla to carry your bags as you walk from one village to the next. In fact the local people are somewhat disapproving of “rich” westerners who do not provide employment to a porter during the trek. Accommodations can be found in tea houses at very regular intervals negating the need for a tent on most circuits. The result for most is a relaxed pace, a light load, and an enjoyable trip. 

Along the way, trekkers share the trail with other trekkers and their guides, local people, yak trains transporting a variety of goods, as well as porters who carry both luggage as well as goods for the villages up-valley. The porters range in age as much as the loads they carry. The youngest I have seen was probably around 12 and carried a relatively small load in a wicker basket, while the oldest looked ancient and also carried a smaller amount. A full-size, able-bodied porter often carries an enormous load that must far exceed his own body-weight. Most of the loads consist of commodities but there is not necessarily a pattern. I saw one porter who carried 2 cases of whiskey, 200 rolls of toilet paper and a DVD player. The strangest consisted of several cases of commodities, which is standard, but on top rode 6 live chickens in a wicker cage. Whiskey here flows uphill as there is almost always at least one case of beer or whiskey on their backs. Despite their back-breaking loads they advance slowly but steadily up the trail, taking frequent breaks. To aid in taking a load off they carry a short staff with a flat top on which they can rest the package. All porters bare the weight via a tumpline, a strap which goes up and over the top the head spreading the weight over the entire axial spine.

I was happy to not be a porter today as the trail rose around 3000 vertical feet from Monjo to Namche where we will spend today and tomorrow acclimating to our rapid ascent. Unfortunately, I have been reluctant to allow the porters to carry all of my things (laptop, research stuff, etc) and so am carrying significantly more than my colleagues. During the climb I, more than once, contemplated the environmental impact of littering the trail-side with several hundred doses of metoclopramide and ibuprofen as well as the corresponding consent forms.  To improve the situation I spent much of the 3 hour work-out on nature’s own stair-stepper machine staring at the back-end of a slow moving yak train, a view considerably less desirable than the previous day’s endless scenics. 

I now find myself in Namche Bazaar, which lies carved into the edge of a steep hillside at around 11,200ft. We’re staying the next two nights here at the Panorama Lodge which lies at the near the top of the town. I am currently sitting in a large dining room with richly stained hardwood floors and tables, and the shelves are full of Tibetan styled brass and copper pots. In the corner a TV is showing Bangladesh vs. England in the Cricket World Cup. This is a far cry from the rustic huts I was expecting, however despite the seemingly luxurious appearance, there is still very little heat and all water must be either boiled or chemically sterilized. In fact I’m going to stop writing, because my fingers are getting cold and numb.

Tomorrow, we’re going to hike up to Kunde and, hopefully, find some boulders to play on along the way. Then it’s on to Tangboche and the day after, Pheriche.