MOUNTAIN FLIGHT    

Only awe-stricken silence can come adjacent to matching the experienced of going on a mountain flight to encounter the highest peaks existing on this earth. No wonder Mountain fly-bys above turned into a popular tourist attraction in the Nepalese Kingdom. Nine domestic airlines offer regular forages into the snow-capped summits of the Great Himalayan Ranges. Mountain flights appear to all category of traveling visitors. For those who are restricted by time or other considerations from going trekking, these flights offer a panoramic view of the Himalayas in just an hour. Even those tourist who like the rigors of a trek still don't miss the sheer opportunity of "conquering" the mountains in one fell swoop.

As the aircraft lifts up and heads towards the cardinal direction of east, passengers don't have to wait too long to find out what's in store for them. There they are the ancient mountains plus the abode of eternal snows, as they have always been.

First to their far left, visitors witness Gosainthan, also called Shisha-Pangma, standing at the majestic height of 8,813m. Immediately to the right of Gosainthan, there appears Dorjee-Lakpa (6,966m), a mountain that looks like the Arabic numeral of 8 lying down and covered with snow. To the right of Dorjee-Lakpa is Furbi-Ghyachu, which looms over the enchanting Kathmandu valley.

As the plane moves along the mountains come closer and closer. Next on the vision is Choba-Vamare, the smallest on the the lot at (5,933m) but  similarly stubborn as it never been climbed. Then appears the mountain that is not only prominent in sight but also is spirituality-Gouri Shankar. Lor Shiva and his consort Gauri are as a divine couple said to protect this particular mountain, at the proud altitude of (7,134m) and the summit held a history of falling attempts till 1979. Gouri-Shankar appears sharp and very conspicuous during the mountain flight. As the plane moves towards the land of the rising sun, the eastern Himalayas a succession of glorious mountains floow. Melungtse, a plateau-like mountain. stretches up  o (7,023m). Chugimago at (6,256m). Numbur mountains resembles a breast, the maternal source in the sky providing pure milk to the Sherpas of the Solukhumbu. Next to Karyalung and intensely wide mountain that at (6,511m) gleams with the rising sun. Cho-Oyu is the eighth highest mountain of the world. Reaching a height of (8,201m) it comes out stunningly beautiful from the aircraft.   

Next on the menu is Gyachung-Kang, at a majestic height of (7,952m) considered an extremely difficult scaling. To the right of Gyachung-Kang is Pumori (7,161m) which means West Peak, signifying its direction from Everest. Finally there's Everest (8,848m) itself known as Sagarmatha by the Nepalese and Chomolungma by the Tibetans. Much has already been written about Everest but to actually witness it face-to-face during an alpine flight is something else. Even while it looms there in front of the eyes, it remains an enigma, this highest spot on the planet.