Kathmandu to Lukla to Namche

This morning we flew from Kathmandu to Lukla. Lukla airport is considered one of the most dangerous in the world as it's a short runway with a cliff on one side and a mountain on the other, and notorious for fog/flight delays. We got lucky and our flight was only 30 min late and a pretty enjoyable ride.

From there we started our trek to Phakding, about 5 miles mostly downhill. This was a good thing as my stomach was still pretty unhappy. We spent the night at Phakding (8,500 ft) before heading to Namche (11,290 ft). The trek from Phakding to Namche was 7 miles, with the last 2 to 3 mostly straight up-these people don't mess around with their hiking! I'm including both days in this group of pictures as they blended together in a blur of small Sherpa villages, adorable pink cheeked children, amazing views, suspension bridges, and sharing the path with cows, horses, mules, and other trekkers. Oh, and lots of hiking!

Arriving in Namche.