On Wednesday we were due to fly from Kathmandu to a remote mountain airstrip called Lukla. We arrived at the airport at 0530 to find out that our flight was delayed due to poor weather in Lukla. After 7.5 hours waiting, we like all the other marathon competitors, were eventually told the flight was cancelled. So we were forced to spend another night in Kathmandu and lose a day of acclimatisation. All was not lost as we were able to have a fabulous meal at the Third Eye restaurant.
Thursday we again arrived at the airport at 0530 but this time with clear skies. We were whisked through all the checks and pretty much straight onto a plane. By 0615 we were airborne for the spectacular 30 min flight to Lukla.
Our KE adventure everest marathon group
Lukla is a spectacular airstrip, short, and steeply inclined with a vertical mountain at the end of it. A hugely exciting place to land.
Since then we've had a very relaxed walk to a village called Phakding. To aid acclimatisation we took a short, steep walk up the valley side to visit a buddhist monastery which is undergoing extensivery repair and renovation after the devastating 2014 earthquake.
I must admit, despite the very modest altitude, about 2000m, I could really feel it on my lungs. How the hell are we supposed to run a marathon 3000m higher up?
Beautiful scenary along the Dudh Kosi river
