So we waved goodbye to Ms Libra and Bluey on Saturday 4 November and relocated ourselves to the very swanky Shangri-La Hotel to begin Phase 3 of our Very Big Adventure - Island Peak. We had a group briefing that afternoon, which was our first meeting with the 10 other people on the trek - and how intimidating half of them looked too! Big brawny blokes they were! And, oh phew, 2 other women. We got to try on climbing boots - tres tres chic - and had our gloves, packs and sunglasses inspected by our trek leader, Pasang Sherpa, who has climbed Everest! Yes indeedy, our very own celebrity!
Monday we all got up at the crack of dawn to have breakfast then head out to the airport for the 40 minute flight to Lukla, the gateway to the Everest region. Now, the planes they use are little 16-seater Twin Otters in which the seatbacks fold down whenever not in use, or when gripped in terror by the person behind. So imagine this....12 trekkers wearing their ever so flexible and dainty plastic climbing boots (there's baggage weight restrictions, don't you know), 6 of whom are bloody big blokes all squeezing onto this wee wee plane and being greeting by an airhostess offering cotton wool and a boiled lollie - Yeti Airlines really raises the bar when it comes to inflight service. For most of the flight's duration, there was a complacent hum of conversation in the cabin (Hamish even managed to fall asleep - "gotta get it when you can" - despite the people clambering over him to get their first views of Everest) but this soon turned to sounds of fear and consternation when people caught sight of the "airstrip" at Lukla. Some quotes:
"You're f***** kidding! We're landing on that?"
"Jesus christ. No way!"
"Oh shit. I'm gonna die."
"ohmygodohmygodohmygod"
and then as we landed:
"F**** awesome man"
The airstrip at Lukla is a STOL (Short Take Off and Landing) and slopes upwards towards a bloody big rock wall (a braking aid, apparently). From the air, it appears about the size of a bandaid, with a sheer drop at one end, a mountain at the other and lots of things to crash into - like other mountains, gorges, lodges and a river - if the pilot misses the bandaid. Suffice to say, we landed safely and were quickly bundled off to our lunchtime lodge whilst Pasang organised porters, loads and equipment. Unfortunately, we had to effect a smart evacuation when Robert rather suddenly vomited all over the floor! Ooops. Sadly, Robert never finished the trip. He struggled to Namche Bazaar ( a two day hike away from Lukla) where he had a rather serious diabetic seizure and nearly died. Kind of made my chest infection and David's D&V (Diarrhoea & Vomiting) pale in comparison. So then we were eleven......
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