Maximum Altitude: 2,829m

We had to be up at 4am to be at the airport for the early flight to Lukla. From the hotel it was less than 20 minutes and then began the chaos of the bag weigh-in. As it turned out, all bags were weighed and a total weight generated. At $1 per extra kilo, the bill for being overweight wasn't going to break any banks, but Jagged Globe had agreed to pay the difference. I could have packed the goodie bars after all! I'd have been happy paying for them myself.

We had the 6am flight and were soon away to board the tiny 16 seater twin-otter that would whisk us to Lukla. It seems the best seats are on the left going out (so right coming back) with awesome views of the Himalaya, including our first glimpse of Everest bathed in the orange glow of the morning light. It takes less than 30 minutes to get to Lukla and we were soon landing which was nowhere near as scary as it had been made out to be - the runway is just 500m long. Planes are unloaded and reloaded very quickly, but it can take some considerable time to actually get bags from the officials so we hung around whilst our in-country support performed their magic.

We were escorted to a nearby lodge to enjoy tea and biscuits and meet our Sherpas and Porters. Tea was black, well, actually, very pale brown - they seem to make a couple of Tea Bags serve 15 people. This would become a thrice daily feature of the trip. We were given the opportunity of resorting our gear as we wished prior to the porters whisking our gear away, not to be seen until our overnight lodge at Phakding. Important to get whatever was required for the day; water, cameras etc, but nothing we didn't need - you keep it, you carry it! We had been advised not to drink the local water, but one litre only cost Re100 so was cheap enough not to worry. It is important to keep well-hydrated at this altitude and this dry atmosphere so money well-spent.

Eventually we set off through Lukla itself, which was bigger than I imagined and populated by Lodges, Tea Houses and shops selling pretty much anything one could require for a trek. It was true that you could turn up with almost nothing and buy most of what you needed - risky but possible. At the gate to the Sagmartha Park we had the traditional team and solo photos then set off along the trail, frequently passing Donkey/Horse/Yak trains, Prayer Stones (Mani stones), Prayer wheels; important to pass with them on your right and turn them clockwise. Also frequently there were small cafes and many excellent views. As we walked, we encountered a guy carrying a full-sized Fridge/Freezer on his back! Later in the story, his destination will be revealed.

Lunch stop was after about two hours in Thado Koshigaon where we had the most amazing view of Kusum Kangharu (6,387m) which was the first proper view of a big mountain. Lunch was melted cheese and tomato sandwiches with chips and of course, tea for fifteen with only a couple of Tea Bags. I couldn't make my mind up whether it was better with sugar or not so resolved to rotate sugar and no-sugar, just for the variety if nothing else.

After lunch a further one hour walk bought us to Phakding and our accommodation for the night. Very nice twin en-suite rooms, although a shower was an extra Re300, electricity for charging phones was Re200 and WiFi Re500 so plenty of add-ons if required.

The surrounding area looked very nice and I took a walk across a suspension bridge we had passed earlier and up the other side of the valley where I came to a small hamlet which seemed largely deserted, although I did briefly chat with one of the locals who seemed to speak good English.

Phakding is built around the Tourist industry with several lodges, several bars, souvenir shops and others. It seems very poor but the locals seem happy enough.

Dinner at the lodge was soup followed by rice and fried potatoes with some veg. Meals were starting to take on a familiarity; rice, potato, veg but no meat. It looked like we were becoming Vegetarians for the duration. I have no problem with that provided the food is nice.

Most people were pretty tired and heading off to bed by about 7:30pm. I used my thermal liner and the provided quilt which kept me plenty warm enough. No need for the high altitude sleeping bag just yet.

T-Shirt and Shorts would have been fine so far, the trails are pretty easy and trainers could be worn. Out of the sun it does go quite cool. Dusk was around 5pm and dark by 6pm when a jacket is definitely required.

Other than the aircraft at the airport, we have seen no motorised transport all day. The busiest it gets is when the Horse/Donkey/Yak trains come through and it is wonderful!