Everest. One word, wow. It was a beautiful clear day. Our Buddha Air flight was on a 17 seat Beechcraft. This aircraft is a small tubular unit with one seat on each side of the aisle. A six foot tall person cannot stand erect in the aisle. My wife dislikes small planes and she was uncomfortable at first. Once we got to the mountains, her demeanor changed.
We flew out of the domestic airport. This is a major tourist attraction, and we found out why.
We left at 6:30 in the morning and were back in the hotel by 9:00.
It took about ten minutes to reach the Himalaya range. They gave each passenger a map which named every peak along the way. We went West to East skirting the range at about 30,000 feet. That let us see the mountains up close and personal.
This range is very different than the Andes, which I have flown over and through dozens of times. Not just because they are higher, but because they are much more “ragged”. The Himalaya are a set of very sharp peaks and deep valleys, with many rivers and even a couple of large ice lakes. They are a brilliant white, and you can see giant ice flows with well defined patterns. It left me with an even more impressed by all those (especially the early ones) who have done on foot what I was doing in the air.
And then we flew over the top of the world, the third pole. Everyone has seen photos of Everest and is familiar with the shape of this amazing mountain. When you get so close you feel like reaching out and touching her, it is moving and thrilling . It was a once in a lifetime experience. It was a bucket list item.
As we started flying back and descending in altitude, all I could think of was, “It’s all downhill from here.”
I’ll probably never stop talking about it, but for now I’ll post some photos in an effort to share this thrilling experience with you.
Over the himalaya
View from the cockpit Everest in front
Yes, they let me into the cockpit. Which was a good thing because my window was dirty and over the wing, so most photos kinda suck.
Awe inspiring
Top of the world!
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