From Lukla to Phakding

The trek to Everest Base Camp carries with it a mystique like no other trek I’ve experienced. The multitude of stories surrounding the successes and failures of many people’s journey to the peak built an aura about this trip that had me a tad bit apprehensive about what to expect even thou I was going no further than the Base Camp.

The traditional approach to trekking to Base Camp starts with a short but dramatic flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. While you could take an additional 7-8 days to trek from Jiri to Namche Bazaar, most trekkers will op for the less time consuming jump start by flying to Lukla.

The flight was quick, with the wait for clear skies both in Lukla and Kathmandu taking longer than the flight itself. The tiny plane offered great views of the majestic Himalayas as we approached.  However, as we approached the airport, our attention changed from the mountains to the tiny airstrip that we were to land on.  Easily the shortest runway I have ever seen, it was sloped uphill to slow our plane. No worries, there were plenty of sand bags at the end if we didn’t stop in time.  Fortunately, we landed with plenty of room to spare.

Stepping out of the plane, it was very obvious we had climbed to over 9000 ft (2800 m) as our breathing clearly dictated. However, after a long morning, the quest for breakfast took priority.  Surprisingly there were many choices from a traditional western breakfast to Tibetan bread called Chapati and a cream of wheat dish called Champas. The breakfast spoiled us, because as you trek higher and further from supplies the choices got much slimmer up the mountain.

After our breakfast, we set forth upon the business we came here to do, walking.  While actually descending 200 meters on our trek to Phakding, the 2 & ½ hour trek rolled along in a “Nepalee Flat” series of ups and downs. The trail was incredible, passing aqua blue rivers reminiscent of the Caribbean with towering mountains littering the backdrop.

Lunch was our first taste of the traditional meal of dal bhat (lentil soup and rice). While advertised as not too appetizing, our first taste of it was surprisingly good.  In addition, we had momas (a perogi like potato dish), curried vegetables, and fried noodles. All tasted great, but we didn’t appreciate it, because we didn’t know the choices wouldn’t always be there.

Along the way were many prayer wheels and stones. While their mantras were probably meant to pacify one's fears, I couldn't help but worry why there were so much need for prayer. Thankfully, we were going no further than basecamp.

The lodge we stayed exceeded my expectations and had power, albeit the lights all dimmed when I plugged my camera battery charger in to get a quick fix. As an added bonus I met my would be partner in www.greatrtreks.com Kirk and his then fiance Nancy. The rooms were clean, but it got really cold at night. Unfortunately, our thermometer broke, so we don’t know how cold it was.  Going a little early, late February, afforded us a lot more privacy, but the nights were quite cold.