Lukla airstrip, Everest region
Mar 3, 2009 11:38:36 GMT
Post by spindrift on Mar 3, 2009 11:38:36 GMT
Flying into Lukla is for adrenaline junkies like me. It is a totally hair-raising experience. Lukla (2860m) is the start place for all the Everest region treks. Sir Edmund Hilary built the airstrip after his ascent of Everest in 1953 to promote tourism to the area which was poverty-stricken.
Since there are no flat places at fairly 'low' altitude, Lukla was picked as a suitable place and the landing strip was excavated into a mountain. Not only do pilots brave multiple hazards of flying just feet over high ridges most of the way from Kathmandu and finding their way through clouds and high winds - they have to land INTO the mountain and slam on the brakes really quickly!
Ha! what a thrill. When returning to Kathmandu the pilots are forced to take off into the direction of the mountain opposite and in an instant point the aircraft steeply upwards to avoid crashing into the mountain...
It's worth flying into Lukla just for these thrills even if one doesn't want to go trekking! Just go there to spend a night or two and return to Ktm...
It's never certain when planes will leave Kathmandu for Lukla. Weather conditions at the high end have to be as ideal as possible before pilots take off. As weather changes in an instant, everyone is on tenterhooks in case it's impossible to land, meaning a turn-back. Quite often these small planes crash onto the airstrip usually meaning death by fire to all trapped inside. This happened only last year and 16 people died (one pilot escaped).
But usually there is no problem and everyone has a nice time.
These pictures might give you an idea of what I'm saying.
And this is the teahouse where I stayed after the excitement of landing.
Since there are no flat places at fairly 'low' altitude, Lukla was picked as a suitable place and the landing strip was excavated into a mountain. Not only do pilots brave multiple hazards of flying just feet over high ridges most of the way from Kathmandu and finding their way through clouds and high winds - they have to land INTO the mountain and slam on the brakes really quickly!
Ha! what a thrill. When returning to Kathmandu the pilots are forced to take off into the direction of the mountain opposite and in an instant point the aircraft steeply upwards to avoid crashing into the mountain...
It's worth flying into Lukla just for these thrills even if one doesn't want to go trekking! Just go there to spend a night or two and return to Ktm...
It's never certain when planes will leave Kathmandu for Lukla. Weather conditions at the high end have to be as ideal as possible before pilots take off. As weather changes in an instant, everyone is on tenterhooks in case it's impossible to land, meaning a turn-back. Quite often these small planes crash onto the airstrip usually meaning death by fire to all trapped inside. This happened only last year and 16 people died (one pilot escaped).
But usually there is no problem and everyone has a nice time.
These pictures might give you an idea of what I'm saying.
And this is the teahouse where I stayed after the excitement of landing.