Lukla (Nepali: लुक्ला Nepali pronunciation: [ˈlukla]) is a small town in the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu rural municipality of the Solukhumbu District in the Province No. 1 of northeastern Nepal. Situated at 2,860 metres (9,383 ft) above sea level, it is a popular place for visitors to the Himalayas near Mount Everest to arrive. Although Lukla means "place with many goats and sheep", few are found in the area nowadays.

Lukla
Looking across the township of Lukla, with the air strip of Lukla Airport in the foreground
Looking across the township of Lukla, with the air strip of Lukla Airport in the foreground
Lukla is located in Koshi Province
Lukla
Lukla
Location in Nepal
Lukla is located in Nepal
Lukla
Lukla
Lukla (Nepal)
Coordinates: 27°41′20″N 86°43′50″E / 27.68889°N 86.73056°E / 27.68889; 86.73056
Country   Nepal
ProvinceProvince No. 1
DistrictSolukhumbu District
Rural municipalityKhumbu Pasanglhamu
Government
 • TypeWard division
Elevation
2,860 m (9,380 ft)
Time zoneUTC 5:45 (Nepal Time)
Postal code
56010
Area code038

Lukla village holds a small airport serving the region, and a variety of shops and lodges catering to tourists and trekkers, providing western-style meals and trail supplies. From Lukla, travelers need two days to reach the village of Namche Bazaar, an altitude-acclimatization stop for those continuing on.[1] The airport has a 527-metre (1,729 ft) single asphalt runway, making it the shortest commercial runway in the world. [2]

In August 2014, the Nepalese government announced plans to open the first tarmac road from Kathmandu to Lukla.[3]

Airport

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One of the scariest and most dangerous landings in the world at Lukla Airport in Nepal[4]

Lukla is served by the Tenzing-Hillary Airport. Weather permitting, twin-engine Dornier 228s and de Havilland Canada Twin Otters make frequent daylight flights between Lukla and Kathmandu. Lukla Airport has a very short and steep airstrip, often compounded by hazardous weather, resulting in several fatal accidents. It has been called the most dangerous airport in the world.[5][4]

Climate

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Lukla has a subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cwb).

Climate data for Lukla (Chaurikharka), elevation 2,619 m (8,593 ft)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 9.8
(49.6)
11.0
(51.8)
13.6
(56.5)
18.1
(64.6)
19.2
(66.6)
19.5
(67.1)
19.2
(66.6)
19.6
(67.3)
18.3
(64.9)
17.5
(63.5)
14.0
(57.2)
11.3
(52.3)
15.9
(60.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) 4.0
(39.2)
5.4
(41.7)
8.3
(46.9)
12.1
(53.8)
13.6
(56.5)
15.3
(59.5)
15.6
(60.1)
15.6
(60.1)
14.5
(58.1)
12.3
(54.1)
8.1
(46.6)
5.4
(41.7)
10.9
(51.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −1.5
(29.3)
−0.3
(31.5)
3.0
(37.4)
6.0
(42.8)
8.3
(46.9)
11.3
(52.3)
12.1
(53.8)
11.6
(52.9)
10.6
(51.1)
7.0
(44.6)
2.2
(36.0)
−0.5
(31.1)
5.8
(42.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 18.3
(0.72)
30.3
(1.19)
27.0
(1.06)
60.1
(2.37)
106.7
(4.20)
321.5
(12.66)
583.1
(22.96)
570.1
(22.44)
297.7
(11.72)
63.6
(2.50)
13.0
(0.51)
14.7
(0.58)
2,106.1
(82.91)
Source 1: FAO[6]
Source 2: Agricultural Extension in South Asia (precipitation 1976–2005)[7]

References

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  1. ^ Muza, SR; Fulco, CS; Cymerman, A (2004). "Altitude Acclimatization Guide". US Army Research Inst. Of Environmental Medicine Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division Technical Report (USARIEM–TN–04–05). Archived from the original on April 23, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
  2. ^ Above, The Himalaya. "Lukla". Lukla.
  3. ^ Wright, Loveday (13 August 2014). "Highway to Everest: infrastructure at the expense of nature? | Asia | An in-depth look at news from across the continent". DW. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Which Everest Base Camp is Best:Tibet or Nepal?". 30 June 2019.
  5. ^ "World's Most Dangerous Airports". Retrieved 2011-03-25.
  6. ^ "World-wide Agroclimatic Data of FAO (FAOCLIM)". Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  7. ^ "TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF CLIMATE CHANGE OVER NEPAL (1976-2005)" (PDF). Agricultural Extension in South Asia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
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