Through the Three Passes - An Internal Journey on the Everest Trek (Day 1)

Everest Three Passes Trek 

Photo found Online

Date: 2025/4/16-5/1 

Distance: 160km

Tour Company: Higher Path Treks & Expeditions

Day 1: 2025/4/16 Kathmandu(1400m) to Lukla(2860m), then Phakding (2610m)

Getting to Lukla is the first hurdle. Our plane, originally scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu from Lukla the night before, was diverted to Manthali due to weather. The next morning, continued haze in Manthali delayed my flight multiple times-from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., then to 10 a.m.-until we finally departed at 11:45 a.m.

The plane seats 19, but today there were only 14 passengers. Among them was a three-generation German family, including a five-year-old boy on his second trip to Nepal. The grandfather, who I later learned is 78 years old, completed the Everest Base Camp trek in 2015, and this is his 15th visit to Nepal. The boy’s parents, a couple who met during their first trip in 2002, are now on their ninth visit.

Less than ten minutes after our plane departed for Lukla, the haze above Kathmandu began to lift. Outside, the scenery was lush and green, dotted with scattered villages. Their only connection to the outside world is a winding road, parts of which look muddy and are vulnerable to landslides during bad weather.

Midway through the flight, we were informed that Lukla Airport was closed due to wind, and we had to divert to Manthali. So, I ended up stopping at Manthali after all, but flying there was still preferable to taking the 1 am. bus, as the long, winding road to Manthali would have been very tiring.

We waited in Manthali for an hour and a half before taking off again at 1:45 p.m., finally arriving in Lukla around 2:10 p.m. The landing was smooth; I couldn’t see the runway and felt nothing, leaving me a bit disappointed that I didn’t experience the full effect of landing at one of the most dangerous airports in the world.

My guide, Jungbu Sherpa, and my porter, Dawa, met me at Lukla airport. Both are young-33 years old. 

Lukla sits at 2,800 meters, while Phakding, where we stayed tonight, is at 2,610 meters.

My first night at a tea house