Down in the Valley.

​We were up at 6:00 am to the sound of helicopters overhead - still no airplanes landing in Lukla, but the weather appeared to be clearing, so we were encouraged.
 
By 8:30 am, the first of our group had boarded the chopper and headed out for Khote at the bottom of the Hinku Valley (elevation 11,500 feet). The weather was still unstable - low fog and lots of cloud, but over the next hour our entire group and accompanying baggage arrived safely.
 
Khote is a beautiful little village with around a dozen or so structures, the largest of which is the Lama Lodge, our home for the next two nights. It’s basic (just an uninsulated cabin with four bedrooms), but it will work just fine.
 
After lunch we went for an acclimatization walk to 12,600 feet - Jimmy had a hard time pronouncing acclimatization, so we now refer to them as Pina Colada walks. Mountain humour just doesn’t translate very well.
 
Tomorrow we will hike up to Thagnak, which is 13,500 feet, and then return to Khote. The weather is supposed to clear up, so we are hoping for blue skies and warm temperatures.