Lukla

Lukla (Nepali: लुक्ला Nepali pronunciation: [ˈlukla]) is a small town in the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu rural municipality of the Solukhumbu District in the Koshi Province 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
Town
Looking across the township of Lukla, with the air strip of Lukla Airport in the foreground
Lukla Location in Nepal Show map of Koshi Province Lukla Lukla (Nepal) Show map of Nepal
Coordinates: 27°41′20″N 86°43′50″E
Country	Nepal
Province	Province No. 1
District	Solukhumbu District
Rural municipality	Khumbu Pasanglhamu
Government
• Type	Ward division
Elevation	2,860 m (9,380 ft)
Time zone	UTC+5:45 (Nepal Time)
Postal code	56010
Area code	038

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.^[2]

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

Airport

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][6][4]

Climate

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[7]
Source 2: Agricultural Extension in South Asia (precipitation 1976–2005)[8]