FZ30 sees Mt. Everest!

1. Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, on the way from Melbourne to Kathmandu. Brand new, only opened about 10 days beforehand! Huge building, has 4 levels, other end is about 400m behind me.

2. An early morning shot of Lukla airport, at 2,800 metres / 9,100 ft. We took an internal flight from Kathmandu to here. The gradient of the runway is about 1 in 9, and has to be seen to be believed! I've heard it compared to landing on an aircraft carrier.

3. Lukla airport again, a more spectacular backdrop from this angle; slope of runway also apparent.

4. Next to where we stayed in Lukla on the return journey. The aircraft wreckage sheltering the wood pile is a bit of a worry!!!

5. Everything here goes by yak or porter. We didn't see a wheeled vehicle for nearly 2 weeks! View approaching the village of Thamo, a fairly level 'day walk' we did while we acclimatised to the altitude (about 3400 metres / 11,000 ft. here). If you don't acclimatise, you die!

6. Lots of 'Indiana Jones' type suspension bridges, this one near Phakding was about 100 metres long. Carrying capacity is of the order of 30 tonnes, so they're quite safe. Trail 'etiquette' is that you ALWAYS give way to yaks; not that they're dangerous, it's more like trying to argue with a bulldozer.

7. Yak dung is a major source of fuel, especially at the higher altitudes where trees are scarce. At Phurte, a Nepali woman places fresh yak dung out to dry on a stone wall.

8. A picturesque part of the trail near Kangjuma, at about 3400 metres - mountain in background is Ama Dablam, 6814m. Although it's a good 2000 metres short of Everest, it's arguably more spectacular.

9. Self-appointed trail maintenance worker on the 'road' to Everest. Saw a couple of these, some have been doing this work (surviving on donations) for 20-30 years.

10. Mt. Everest (not quite half way across the pic from the left, with cloud streaming off the peak).

11. Our objective - Chhukhung, at 4,750 metres (15,500 feet). This area is very stony as it lies at the bottom of several glaciers (technically, the 'glacial moraines'). Mountain on the left is Lhotse, No. 4 in the world at 8,501 metres. Air is VERY thin here, you'd sometimes have to stop for breath every 50-100 paces in spite of the fact that it wasn't an overly steep area. Found out later that the air at this altitude only contains about 55% oxygen!

12. Mountains are really 'in your face' here, at almost impossible angles and heights.

A tough question though... is Nepal's No. 1 asset its scenery? .....

13. Or, is it its people?

I guess one day I'll just have to go back to give this question more consideration!