21 Lukla-KTM
Everest Base Camp and Kalapthar Trek
Day 21 > Phakding to Lukla ... and then a flight back to Kathmandu
Day-21 - 15th October 2007: Phakding to Lukla
We left Phakding at 6:20AM and started on our last day's trek to Lukla.
Flowers on the trail on way to Lukla
View as we near Lukla the airport plateau is up ahead
Map of Lukla on a signpost showing main GH locations .... and the Lukla airstrip (click on image to enlarge)
The chorten in Lukla ... 9:30AM
After reaching Lukla at 9:30am we went straight to the airport and checked for next available Agni Air flight. Amazing! there was one landing right now and we could go on that to KTM; as only 50% full! Bhavnath is surprised and thrilled .... he knew he will be home safe by 17th for the Dashain festival.
The view of cockpit of our Agni flight to Kathamandu
View from Lukla-KTM flight window under the engine - last longing look at these awesome mountains that I trekked the last 20 days.
We landed in Kathmandu at 10:30AM the flight took only some 20 mins. It flew over some pretty awesome mountain scenery below ... One could see many hills and trails. Perhaps some that I had walked in the last 20 days? I could not catch all those arial views on my camera due to the angle required to position the camera. Still got an eyeful of live Himalayan views, clouds and mountains!
We took a taxi from airport and went straight to Hotel Garuda in Thamel and checked in at 11:30AM. That whole afternoon I spent in a Thamel Cyber cafe with broadband connection!
Flowers on trail from Phakding to Lukla
We pass Cheplung at 8:35AM .... this is where the wonderful trail from Jiri joins the main Lukla-Namche trail
Lukla airport with a small plane waiting to take off
That plane takes off ...... from the very short runaway at Lukla
Thats the Agni Air plane we were waiting to get on .... it took off within 5 mins of landing at 10:10AM
The Airhostess of Lukla - Kathmandu "Agni Air" flight 15th Oct
This is a pic of the Nepal Himalayas ... from my Kathmandu-Delhi flight by Cosmic Air ... from an alt of 30,000+ feet
Day-wise details see sub-pages listed in left margin column