The runway of Lukla Airport is 527 meters long and 30 meters wide with 11.7% gradient making it one of the shortest runways out there. Due to its remote location atop a mountain at 2,860 meters above sea-level, surrounded by the foothills of the Himalayas, and with its limited area, the airport's runway had to be built on top of a small cliff. Flying into Lukla: One of the Most Dangerous Airports in the WorldĪs I have mentioned earlier, Lukla is one of the most terrifying airports in the world. It was the ultimate challenge I set up for myself on my 30th birthday, a big day for anyone who knows the feeling of entering the infamous 30s age-range, and there is no better way to convince yourself that you are still young at heart than to do something crazy like trekking to Everest Base Camp solo 😁. In total, it would take me around 15 days, just in time for my birthday. Instead of coming down the same way, I decided to go even further and added a side-trek to Gokyo Lakes (5,000 meters) which takes 3 extra days before heading back to Namche Bazar, Lukla, and eventually Kathmandu.

To get to Everest Base Camp, one would need to fly into Lukla Airport, one of the most dangerous airports in the world (you will see why soon), trekked along Dudh Kosi River to the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar at 3,867m, before heading up to Dingboche (4,260 meters), Lobuche (4,930 meters), Gorakshep (5,140 meters), and eventually to Everest Base Camp (5,364 meters) all in a span of 7 days. The route to Everest Base Camp is a journey that requires not only commitment and dedication but a razor focus of willpower and determination that one would need to get themselves through 4 - 8 hours of hiking each day. Watch on Youtube The Route to Everest Base Camp Looking for a guide to Everest Base Camp instead? A Complete Guide To Trekking Everest Base Camp Independently I spent my 2014's birthday skydiving in New Zealand, 2015's birthday dancing to a German rap battle in Dresden, 2017's birthday trekking the Santa Cruz Trail in the Andes alone, and 2018 was no different.įor 2018, I had my sight set for Everest Base Camp, a supply camp on the south face of Mount Everest standing at 5,364 meters above sea-level and the route there is no walk-in-the-park. It was the month of my birthday when I arrived at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, and I had my goal set on an adventure I had always wanted to do on my birthday.Įver since I started traveling back in 2013, I have always made the effort to do something distinctly untraditional. I was finally back in a country where it all began, where the trajectory of my life spun upward and shaped the person I am today, I'm finally back in Nepal again. The moment my senses engaged with the sound, the sights, and the aroma of the city as I walked out from the airport, I knew right away that a grand adventure awaits, just like it did in 2013. The confusion and the excitement that swept over me the moment I arrived, did so the same again 5 years later. The dusty red brick walls of this airport reminded me of the first time I arrived here back in 2013. A cold breeze of the evening Himalayan air struck my face as I walked along the familiar old rustic hallway towards the arrival hall. It was late 2018 as I got off from a FlyDubai's Boeing 737 airplane.

Uberlayer for base camp