Only awe stricken silence can come close to matching the experience of going on a mountain flight to encounter the tallest mountains of this earth. No wonder mountain flights have become a popular tourist attraction in Nepal. Four airlines offer regular forages into the snow capped peaks of the Himalaya.

Mountain flights appeal to all categories of travelers. For those who are restricted by time or other considerations from going trekking, these flights offer a panoramic view of the Himalaya in just one hour. Even those visitors who like the rigors of a trek still don't miss the opportunity to 11 conquer" the mountains in one fell swoop.

Travelers take off from Kathmandu in the early morning for an hour's worth of spectacular mountain scenery. As the aircraft lifts up and heads towards the cast, passengers don't have to wait too long to find out what's in store for them. There they are ? the mountains, as they always have been.

First to their far left visitors see Gosaithan, also called Shisha Pangma, standing at the majestic height of 8,013 m. Immediately to the right of Gosaithan, there appears Dorje Lakpa (6,966 m), a mountain that looks like the number 8 lying down and covered with snow. To the right of Dorje Lakpa is Phurbi Ghyachu, which looms over the Kathmandu Valley.