London - It won’t quite be a highway to heaven, but it will get pretty close.
For the first hard-surface road to Lukla – also known as the gateway to Mount Everest – is set to be built, the Nepalese government has announced.
The 60-mile highway will link the village of Jiri to Lukla – a settlement which is 2 860m above sea level and where most climbers take their first steps towards Everest’s base camp.
Until the road is built, the only way to get to Lukla is to trek for four days from Jiri or fly from Kathmandu – but bad weather often causes flight chaos.
The new road will also mean supplies can be easily transported to the area – at the moment everything from gas cylinders to tea has to be flown in.
At least 35 000 tourists visit the Everest national park each year, most of them trekking along the lower slopes of the mountain. - Daily Mail