Start: Lukla 2,860m a.s.l.
Destination: Monjo 2,832m a.s.l.
Date: March 12, 2022
Start in Lukla: 11:08 AM
Distance: 13.76 km
Duration: 4 hours and 42 minutes
Elevation Gain: 823 meters
Elevation Loss: 852 meters
Change in Elevation to Sleeping Place: +1,432 meters
Arrival: By plane from Kathmandu to Lukla. Airline: Yeti Airlines
Terrain: Easy and very pleasant to walk
Accommodation:
Kathmandu: Hotel Nepali Ghar (highly recommended)
Monjo: Mount Kailash Lodge (overpriced, electricity & Wi-Fi at an extra cost)
Weather: Sunny with some clouds, light rain just before Monjo
Temperature: According to the weather service, up to 6°C, but it felt more like up to 20°C
Wildlife: Various birds, friendly dogs, yaks, mules, horses, butterflies, chickens, cats
Flora: Hemlock firs, juniper, birch, rhododendron
Food: M&M’s and tea at Kathmandu Airport, a chocolate roll and a ginger lemon honey tea upon arrival in Monjo, Dal Bhat with tea for dinner

Elevation Profile (tracked using Garmin)

At 7:00 AM, the taxi waits outside Hotel Nepali Ghar in Kathmandu. After about 20 minutes, I leave the chaotic streets behind and arrive at the small and somewhat chaotic Domestic Airport. The wait for luggage check is short, and I find myself at the Yeti Airlines counter 90 minutes before departure. However, it’s not open yet, so the waiting begins. The flight to Lukla is scheduled for 9:00 AM. Just before 9:00, the counter opens, and I check in my backpack (8.8kg excluding jacket, camera, and water). Each person is allowed 10kg. The second part of the waiting begins at the gate. I’m already anxious, fearing the flight might get canceled. This is not uncommon because the pilots fly by sight. If the weather in the mountains is too bad, flights can be quickly delayed. However, I’m lucky, and the flight to Lukla is called. I join a group of twelve people and board a small propeller plane. I strike up conversations with Monique (64), and Mathijs (32) from the Netherlands (mother and son), Till from Germany (currently living in Mumbai), Kilimo from France (living in Hong Kong), and Kamel from India (also living in Hong Kong). Monique and Mathijs also plan to trek the Three Passes without a guide or porter, while Till, Kilimo, and Kamel each intend to visit the Everest Base Camp. It’s great to meet people who are considering similar treks and tours.

Arrival in Lukla after an unusually calm flight

At 10:30 AM, the two pilots start the engine, and off we go! We leave Kathmandu below us. The flight attendant hands out candy and earplugs to everyone, and within minutes, the Himalayan peaks come into view. I am speechless for the first time. By the way, although there’s a designated seat on the flight ticket, it doesn’t matter once you’re on the plane. The rule is to get on and sit wherever you want. On the flight to Lukla, the left row offers views of the Himalayas. So, I see Mount Everest for the first time, even though I don’t realize it at that moment. The flight is very smooth. After 30 minutes of flight time, we land in Lukla (at the world’s most dangerous airport) without any issues and very gently.

On the runway, I pick up my backpack directly from the small cargo hold, walk through a building, and I’m already in the streets of Lukla. I pack my jacket into my backpack (the sun is shining — yay) and start walking. Directly from the airport onto the hiking trail — how great is that!? So I stroll through Lukla, buy a hiking map, and I can barely believe that I’m actually starting my trek now! Lukla is a small village with about 250 inhabitants. Interestingly, the Swiss woman Nicole Niquille, who was the first woman in Switzerland to receive the mountain guide diploma, founded a foundation and supported the construction of a hospital in Lukla, which was completed in 2005. (See Fondation Nicole Niquille). Several times along the way, I will hear stories of Swiss men and women who are well-known in the Khumbu Valley.

Just outside Lukla is the Trekkers Registration Desk. They check my passport, record my name and intended duration of travel, whether I’m traveling solo or with a guide, collect 2,000 NPR (or 20 USD), and issue me the trekking permit. The permit, along with my passport, is then reviewed by the police at the next window. I’m given the green light to continue walking!

The trail is very well-maintained, which is understandable as it’s the main trade route to Namche Bazaar. Accordingly, there are porters carrying heavy loads. It’s impressive to see what they haul up and down these trails — boxes of Snickers, apples, coffee machines, and even doors! I certainly won’t complain about the weight of my lightweight backpack. The path winds along the Dudh Koshi River, passing through small settlements like Chheplung, Nachipang, Koshigaun, Ghat, Phakding, Tok Tok, and Benkar. Each of these places has lodges for overnight stays, small shops to grab a snack, and in some instances, charming seating areas to enjoy a meal or drink. It’s a stunning route that I find exceptionally beautiful. It reminds me a lot of landscapes in the Swiss cantons of Wallis or Engadin, with the winding trail, magnificent fir trees, the clear river, and the mountain peaks in the background — simply a breathtaking view.

The prayer flags hanging on all suspension bridges and the stupas (Buddhist structures), as well as the sometimes massive Mani stones, quickly remind me that I am in Nepal. Mani stones are stones (in various sizes) on which the mantra ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ is often engraved or carved. In Tibetan Buddhist culture, it is customary for believers to leave these stones on pilgrimage routes, at temples, mountain passes, etc. to clear away obstacles on the path of all sentient beings and purify the karma of the deceased. Mani stone walls are always circumambulated from the left side. Mani wheels (prayer wheels) are also turned from the left side, either by hand or by the wind or water. Turning them is believed to bring luck and good karma, and it’s also a way to fulfill the mantras and prayers stored in the wheels on a paper roll.

Till, Kilimo, and Kamel, whom I accompanied for a while, said their goodbyes in Phakding. They planned to stay overnight in a lodge there. With some energy and a desire for more hiking, I decided to continue on to Monjo, a small settlement just before Namche Bazaar. I reached Monjo with a few raindrops on my head. At the Mount Kailash Lodge, I was given a room. My mistake was that I didn’t inquire about the price, and so the owner provided me with a room with a private (cold) shower and a toilet. It turned out to be my most expensive night on the trek. I chose not to opt for electricity or Wi-Fi, as I didn’t feel the need to.

My daily “post-hiking program” began immediately upon arrival: A quick wash. I used a wet wipe with some soap to clean up, brushed my hair, and changed into fresh clothes for the evening. I then sat down in the common area, ordered a Chocolate Roll (chocolate with dough, fried) and a delicious Ginger Lemon Honey tea, and enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere. There was another female trekker sitting a bit farther from me. It was close to 5:00 PM, and as I looked over my map, reviewed the photos I had taken so far, and took out my Kindle for some reading, the common area slowly filled up. Two young men from Spain (one of them lived in Zurich), a couple from Germany/Morocco, and a few more trekkers and their guides found their spots. For dinner, I ordered Dal Bhat, the Nepali national dish, which includes rice with lentil soup, vegetables, and a papad. I found it very tasty.

I soon struck up a conversation with the guys from Spain, who planned to go all the way to Everest Base Camp. After dinner, a group gathered around the warm stove, but my down jacket kept me warm enough. Around 8:00 PM, it was time for bed. I looked forward to my cozy sleeping bag and drifted off to sleep, feeling incredibly content and thankful that my entire journey had gone so smoothly within just a few minutes. What a fantastic day!