Everest Base Camp Trek Day 1: Lukla to Phakding

Tenizng Hilary Airport Welcome Sign - DomOnTheGo

LUKLA TO PHAKDING KEY STATS

Starting Point: Lukla (2,860m/9,380ft)
Finishing Point: Phakding (2,800m/9,200ft)
Distance: 7.5km/4.66mi
Trekking Time: 2.5 Hours
Accommodation: Yeti Mountain Home Phakding

LUKLA TO PHAKDING EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK DIARY

Day 1 of our trek to Everest Base Camp (Lukla to Phakding) kicks off in Lukla – a small Himalayan village known for having the world most dangerous airport. You know, the one that is simple landing strip on a mountain cliff? Our trip got delayed by a day as we were unable to depart Kathmandu due to bad weather. In fact, no flights took off that day and all were rescheduled for the following day. This is quite common for flights in and out of Lukla – so be sure to give yourself some room on both sides of your trip for flexibility. You can always tell the people who haven’t built in extra time – they are the ones looking for others to join in splitting the cost of a helicopter to get to Lukla.

Our delay wasn’t such a bad thing as we had extra time and Rob had just developed a bad case food poisoning. Last thing anyone would want in this situation is to be on a shaky plane with no bathroom as it navigates landing on a little mountain airstrip. The following day we arrived at the Kathmandu airport hoping for better luck – along with the throngs of other climbers who were in the same boat. As it was the cusp of the summit season, the waiting area was full of backpacks, trekking gear and hopeful mountaineers anxiously awaiting to kick off thier journeys. It was in that moment that I realized the enormity of what we were about to do.

Enjoying the buzz, we too patiently waited. Our fearless guide Prem spent a lot of time connecting with his mates who worked at the airport assessing whether flights would be given the clear. There were some clouds being reported, but it was thought they would eventually get out of our way and open up. Standing behind the check-in counter, Prem gave us a big smile across the room. And with that – we knew that flights had been given the go ahead and we were finally heading into the Himalayas.

We hopped onto the 15-seater plane, grabbed seats on the front left-hand side (to see the Himalayan mountain range as we flew in) and away we went. Unfortunately, with the exception of one three second glimpse, there wasn’t much to see as the mountains were shrouded in clouds. I spent the flight watching the flight path on the radar as we made our way to Tenzing-Norgay Airport. The sheer amount of warm colors on the screen were a clear sign of what we couldn’t see hiding behind the clouds – the world’s highest mountains.

After about 40 minutes in the air, Lukla’s famous landing strip was in view. The sloped runway is just under 500 meters long and is renowned for being perched on a mountain ridge with a 2,800m (9,200ft) drop. From our seat on the plane it was plain as day and made my heart pound out of my chest as we neared. The sound of the old plane hitting and zipping up the runway made it a case of the bark being bigger than the bite. In what seemed like a blink of an eye, we were off ushered off the plane and it was already in the air heading back to Kathmandu with trekkers who had finished their climb. Talk about not wasting time. The name of the game was getting as many people to and from the trekking region before the weather-window of opportunity closed.

Tenzing Norgay Airport, named after the first Nepalese Sherpa who summited Mt. Everest in 1953, was buzzing. Teams of trekkers and summiteers were meeting up with their teams, unpacking what they needed for day one’s trek and hitting the trail. It was here that we first met up with our Sherpa – Pasang. Like many Sherpas in the region, Pasang is a silent hero who helps to make treks and summit attempts to Everest possible. Admittedly we didn’t have too much gear to carry, but considering the devastation in the 2015 and 2016 trekking seasons, we felt it important to support the region and people in it as much as we could. Providing trekking support services is a key way those in the Khumbu support their families.

Kitted out and ready to go – we made our way through the town of Lukla and headed onto the main Everest Base Camp Trek trail. I was grinning from ear to ear. Rob, on the other hand, was still battling a funny tummy and just wanted to get to the next toilet. And just like that we were trekking in the Himalayas.

Our trek from Lukla to Phakding was relatively short and instead of gaining elevation, most of our trek was downhill. We trekked through the forested valley along the Dudh Kosi River through 4 villages Chheplung, Nachipang, Koshiguan, and Ghat. You could tell the villages were gearing up for the season as they all had their snack stands, western drinks and knock-off climbing gear. I was surprised to see all of these comforts from home deep in the Himalayas.

We didnt have amazing weather our first day on the trail. I suppose it’s better to have low visibility when you are still under the tree line. It’s when you start getting to the vistas of the mountains where you hope for crystal clear days. It gave us an opportunity to observe the tired trekkers making their way back to Lukla. The looks on some of their faces were almost enough to make you question what you are about to get into. Some even mumbled “good luck” as they passed by.

As the trek winds its way through the valley, you pass a series of prayer wheels, stupas and engraved mani stones. The engravings read “Om Mani Padme Hum.” This Buddhist chant is tough to directly translate, but encapsulates the essence of Buddhist teachings. Admire them, but be sure to navigate clockwise around them.

After just under two hours of trekking (which included our first suspension bridge crossing over the Thado Koshi Khola!) we arrived at our tea house – Yeti Mountain Home – Phakding (2,610m). Yeti Mountain Home are a chain of tea houses that are considered to be luxury. There are a few of these sprinkled along the main EBC Trek trail. While we were not following the standard trail the whole of our journey, we took advantage of them when we were. Upon arrival, we were greeted with hot towels and a cup of hot lemon. The lovely staff gave us a pair of crocs to wear as house shoes and we were escorted to our rooms. Our rooms were super cute, had private bathrooms (with hot showers – whoop) and electric blankets in the beds. Not at all what I expected and pleasantly surprised.

Before dinner I took a little stroll around the Tea House. I found a small pathway that led to an old, rusty suspension bridge that swayed over the Dudh Kosi River. I walked halfway across the bridge and admired the rushing, milky waters that originated from the peak of Mt. Everest herself.

We had only just begun our journey to Everest Base Camp. It was in that moment that I felt like the waters below were Sagarmatha giving us her blessing to delve further into the region to see her in all her glory.

LUKLA TO PHAKDING VIDEO

LOOKING FOR NITTY GRITTY DETAILS?

Check out the day as recorded by Strava. See the trails taken, overall elevation gains, trekking times and how fast (or slow) we made it from Point A to Point B.

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18 Comments

Michelle on November 6, 2017 at 6:09 am

This is super awesome! Like a preview to what I gonna go do in a fortnight’s time. And yes, I am staying in Yeti Mountain Home! Hooyah! 🙂
Reply
youngandundecided on September 25, 2017 at 9:14 pm

What an experience! I love reading through your Everest Base Camp posts 🙂 I’ll need to live vicariously through them until I manage it on my own!
Reply
- Dom on October 1, 2017 at 10:46 am
  
  Thanks for the kind words. I love re-living the experiences when I go back through the posts and videos. If you get the chance to travel to Nepal and trek to EBC – take it. You will not regret it. 🙂
  Reply
Alberto C. on September 25, 2017 at 10:59 am

This is great! A trek in the Himalayas is high in my bucket list, not too sure that I’d be fit enough for it, though haha
Sounds like you didn’t have the best start, can’t wait to continue reading the rest of the adventure! 😀
Reply
- Dom on October 1, 2017 at 10:43 am
  
  General fitness levels are actually quite ok to do the trek. Understanding how your body responds to altitude is really the key to a successful EBC trek. We had a bit of a stumble at the start of the trek, but trust me – or read the rest of the posts – it was all smooth sailing from there.
  Reply
James on September 24, 2017 at 2:20 pm

I didn’t know about the flight up to Lukla before heading to the base camp. Interesting as you were heading up that you got to see the tired trekkers returning. I have no idea how difficult this trek is and would love to try it myself.
Reply
- Dom on October 1, 2017 at 10:39 am
  
  It’s one of the most dangerous flights in the world BUT they wont fly if the weather is off, so it’s fine. The difficult part of the trek is really how one’s body responds to the altitude. As long as you have a general fitness level you can do the trek just fine. Give it a try for sure.
  Reply
Neha Verma on September 24, 2017 at 5:32 am

Such a detailed capture. I liked every bit of it. I am not a trekker but I have heard so much and so many wonderful stories from those who have attended everest base camp and later taken a trek to the top of the mountain itself. On a side note, Nepal is indeed very beautiful. Thanks for the virtual tour.
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- Dom on October 1, 2017 at 10:36 am
  
  Thanks for the kind words – I am glad you enjoyed the capture. I always love to listen to the stories of those that make their way into the mountains. Thanks for reading mind. 🙂
  Reply
David on September 21, 2017 at 8:41 pm

Great photos! Such a good read and (kind of!) makes me want to climb Mount Everest! Looking forward to reading more 🙂
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Lydia Smith on September 21, 2017 at 12:37 am

Awwwwn. I dont think I can do the Mt Everest trek challenge but I like to read of people’s experiences. Such a detailed post for the first day. I’d sure be following as you continue your narrative. The Dodh River is beautiful, I’m sure there is still more to see as your trek progresses. I’m looking forward to the next post.
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Lydia Smith on September 21, 2017 at 12:35 am

Awwwwn. I dont think I van do the Mt Everest trek challenge but I like to read of people’s experiences. Such a detailed post for the first day. I’d sure be following as you continue your narrative. The Dodh River is beautiful, I’m sure there is still more to see as your trek progresses. I’m looking forward to the next post.
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Julz on September 18, 2017 at 9:41 am

I really enjoy your narrative 🙂 wow that landing strip scares me just reading about it!! no wonder they are so careful with regards to the weather!
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- Dom on September 20, 2017 at 7:12 am
  
  Yea – no kidding. You will often see a lot of frustrated travellers in Kathmandu airport angry they can’t depart due to weather, BUT doing so could be very bad news. 🙂
  Reply
nomadicfoot on September 18, 2017 at 7:40 am

its looks such a beautiful journey. images are so good. i am also a big lover of mountains. i would really like to go to Everest one day…
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- Dom on September 18, 2017 at 9:10 am
  
  The journey is a special one. If you get the opportunity, be sure to take it – there is no better place than walking through the Himalayas. Thanks for the kind words.
  Reply
Robert from Uncensoredtravel on September 18, 2017 at 6:52 am

Amazing! This is high on my bucket list. I am going to Nepal next year but will probably wait to do it another time, my sister’s in law aren’t that sporty :p
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- Dom on September 18, 2017 at 9:09 am
  
  Thanks Robert. There are multiple treks in the Everest Region that require less from the hiker – but still gives you the views. Perhaps you can convince them to go along with you. 🙂 Where abouts in Nepal will you be going?
  Reply