The Lukla Airport. I am standing on a 50 foot tall rock wall on the east end of the Lukla runway. If the plane over shoots and does not stop in time, the sheer rock wall I am standing on will immediately terminate the forward momentum of any size airplane. Only STOL aircraft can safely land. No jets.
Obviously, all flights takeoff and land from/to the west due to the rock wayy at the east end of the runway. The entire runway, except for the taxi ramp that is off to the lsouth, is on a steep slope. I took a video from my seat during the takeoff upon my return to Kathmandu....it is quite amazing. It was like taking off from an aircraft carrier. The plane lifted off and we became airborne about 150 feet from the end of the runway....then within seconds we were hundreds then a thousand feet above the valley directly below....
We passed this man on the trail down from Namche. I saw about a dozen young men doing the same thing when I was going up to and down from Namche.
He was going up to Namche........with 6 full sized pieces of plywood that were 1/2 inch thick. They weighed 18 kilo per sheet, or about 40 pounds per sheet. His load was almost 240 pounds, not counting what he had in the white bag, but I can confidently guarantee it was not sytrofoam packing peanuts.......
He was about 5'5" and weighed about 130 pounds.
Amrit, my guide said, "Not many porters can carry that kind of weight".
I thought to myself, "No Shit!!"
Sometimes I would see these "human mules" wearing only rubber bath sandals. Flip flops!!!
My notes say he was paid 22 Nepali rupees per kilo, or just over $20.00 USD for the 2 day steep uphill trip to Namche.
Namaste.
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