KATHMANDU, Oct 4: Everest Base Camp is the most popular trekking route for foreign tourists in the country. Continuous rain during the tourist season has caused landslides that damaged roads and bridges, leading to difficulties for those traveling to Everest Base Camp.
The trek to Everest Base Camp begins only after flying to Lukla. To reach Lukla, one must take a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla or travel by road from Kathmandu to Manthali and then take a flight from Manthali to Lukla. Additionally, there are options to reach Lukla by helicopter.
Recently, landslides along the BP Highway leading to Manthali have destroyed the bridge at Khukort, causing problems for tourists who reach Manthali and then take a flight to Lukla. Weather conditions and issues caused by floods and landslides on the Kathmandu-Lukla flight route have forced many foreign tourists wishing to visit Everest Base Camp to remain in Kathmandu.
During the peak tourist season, the only way to reach Everest Base Camp from Kathmandu is by taking a flight to Lukla. However, due to the lack of available seats on flights from Kathmandu and the unpredictable weather in Lukla, many tourists travel to Manthali by road and then take a flight to Lukla from there. This is why tourists choose to go to Manthali by vehicles and then fly to Lukla.
New route to reach Annapurna Base Camp
According to Phurba Sherpa, a guide working in the high Himalayan region, travel and trekking agencies are now taking tourists to Lukla via Manthali because the flight schedule from Kathmandu to Lukla does not accommodate all tourists heading to Everest Base Camp during the season.
"Due to the damaged road to Manthali and the collapsed bridge at Khurkot, we are unable to easily transport tourists to Manthali Airport," he said. "Moreover, flights from Kathmandu to Lukla are not as frequent because of weather conditions." He added, "Due to air traffic at Kathmandu Airport, there are not many flights to Lukla, which necessitates taking tourists to Lukla via flights from Manthali Airport."
Having recently completed the Everest Base Camp trek, he mentioned that the three days of rain did not significantly impact the footpath but the deterioration of the road on the BP Highway affected tourists wishing to use that route.
After the road from Kathmandu to Manthali was closed, the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) provided information about a new route to reach Manthali. According to TAAN, an alternative road to Manthali Airport may be the route via Charikot.
Using the alternative road to reach Manthali will double both the time and cost. Previously, vehicles would make a round trip from Manthali to Kathmandu in a single day. However, with the increased travel time, they now need to stay in Manthali and return the next day, resulting in a doubling of the fare.
Currently, to reach Manthali, one must go through Khadichaur and Charikot. While it previously took just four hours to reach Manthali, this route now takes at least eight hours. Additionally, some sections of the road are blocked due to landslides, which has led to flights being initiated from Janakpur.
Similarly, TAAN had discussed with the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to start flights from Janakpur as an alternative to Ramechhap Airport. However, the Everest flights initiated from Janakpur failed within two days. After the route from Kathmandu to Manthali deteriorated, there was an attempt to use Janakpur as an alternative to reach Lukla and Phaplu for Everest Base Camp. However, due to tourists' dissatisfaction and inconvenience, TAAN stated that this was not feasible.
During the peak tourist season, the road blockades have left tourists heading to the Everest Base Camp in a dilemma. Some tourists are reportedly changing their itineraries and opting for treks to other destinations, according to trekking agencies.
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