Day 2 - Yaks & Dust - Phakding 2652 metres

Wow patent this as an amusement ride for thrill seekers and you're on a winner - riding a bucking bronco (read plane) with 7,000 + metre mtns on one side ridges seemingly within touching distance underneath and a looming runway the size of a postage stamp directly ahead with a mountain behind it acting as a damned effective full stop !

We were up at the crack of dawn to negotiate the chaos that resembles Kathmandu airport before finally boarding our tiny Tarra Air twin ottter comprising 2 young pilots and 12 very nervous passengers flying to one of the most dangerous airports in the world

As it was a we need not of worried during this beautiful 40 min flight - our guide had already said a few prayers on the way to the airport and the 11 pairs of white knuckles seemed to provide that extra lift to get us safely on to the ground !

With a quick lunch and a repack of our backpacks (read loading up our poor Porter) we took to the well trodden dusty trail descending (yes descending!) for 30 minutes directly out of Lukla.

With the descent, the hot weather and already beautiful scenery we were both in a state of near bliss until that is we tackled our first hill of the day a precipitous 5 metre climb that had us remembering just like childbirth (i'm told) all those painful experiences)

Despite tens of thousands doing this trek yearly it is not a picnic in the park with sharp angled Rock's and Yak interbreeds of some sort lready providing adequate trip ending hazards.

As it was we sailed into (well at least Monika did) Phakding (try saying that quickly) for our first overnighter, great scenery, the sun and an ensuite of sorts almost enough to make us forget that one of the hardest days on trek is tomorrow !