6th September 2007 - A welcome change of Lukla!

Four days, we've been trying to reach Lukla to start the main trek. We got up at stupid-o-clock in the morning and headed again to the airport long before it opened. Expecting to have a long wait, we rearranged the furniture, pumped up the thermarests and took off heavy boots. Then, suddenly, a bit of blue sky was spotted and the call came to rush for a 16 seat Dronier plane! We made it with our copious kit crammed into every spare corner! The first flight into the mountains for 6 days! woop woop! It was a bit hairy though as we bounced through angry cloud and made the legendary approach into the 300m landing strip cut into the mountainside.

It was only 7am, so a quick shuffle of bags between Sherpa porters and we headed off, in heavy rain, at a positive pace to try and make up for lost time. The effect of the monsoon and recent bad weather can been seen everywhere. The paths are running streams and, in places, have been erroded perilously narrow by slips and small avalanches. The going is heavy but muscle building! Around every valley corner lies another spectacular waterfall, some falling over 200m and soaking every thing within 50m of their base; which included us!

The landscape is immense, massive, huge, imposing, awesome. At the moment, we are trekking at around 3,000m elevation through alpine forest and gorges. We are still in cloud, but occassional tempting glimpses show the huge snow-capped Himalayan peaks looming incredibly close.

Even here the effect of their religion is strong; everywhere there are prayer poles and prayers carved into huge stones which we have to walk around clockwise even if it means coming perilously close to the edge of a steep drop!

Lunch was a surprise, here we are expecting typical Nepali food, when on our plates appear cornish pasties, chips and coleslaw!!!

As we had started the day so early, we reached our evening camp by late lunch. After a brief chat we decided to press-on and have gained a further half day and covered some distance. The likelyhood is that come nightfall on Friday, we should have regained a day of our lost schedule. Prayers still said. Fingers remaining crossed! The entire team still remain cheery and smiley.