The Journey: Interactive Map
Lukla
"At the end of the runway is the mountain itself, so the planes will have to stop!"
The flight into Lukla is both exciting and unnerving. The two airplanes are easily tossed about by mountain winds as they approach the 2000 ft. long, uphill runway built into the side of a mountain. It is here in Lukla that the team is joined by the rest of the support crew, comprised of Sherpa guides and sirdars, porters, cooks, yak herders, and assistants—more than 100 people in all—who have already begun to set up camp. At 9200 ft., the team spends one night here to acclimate to the altitude.