13
“Fasten your seat belts for our final descent into Lukla! ”
the pilot shouts over the roaring engines of the tiny plane.
You and the six other passengers brace yourselves as
the aircraft plunges toward Lukla, a small village deep
in the Himalayan Mountains. The wind flicks the plane
up and down like a toy, and with each crazy bounce,
your stomach lets you know it’s
not
enjoying the ride.
“Before we land,” the pilot continues, “I’d like to wish
good luck to our three brave young passengers. May you
become the youngest team to ever summit Mount Everest!”
Even though you feel like you’re about to throw up, you
can’t help grinning. After all, you’re one of the “brave young
passengers” the pilot is talking about. You’ve been training
hard to make this dream come true. And finally you’re here
in Nepal, about to climb the world’s tallest mountain.
