Biting cold affects life in Solu; Khumbu region deserted

Most businesses in the Khumbu region in Solukhumbu district, home to Mount Everest, have been closed for winter.  

Damu Sherpa, a local resident, said around 70 percent of the people in the region, including hotel owners and staff members, have already left to escape the frigid winter condition. 

Every winter, people living and running hotel business in the Khumbu region move to lower altitude areas for warmer climes. Some even take advantage of the winter break to make a pilgrimage to India’s Bodh Gaya.
Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, hotels, camping sites and sightseeing spots wear a deserted look. 

Only a few shops and hotels are open, but there are no businesses to speak of.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) branch office Lukla, hardly five or six flights are taking place to and from Lukla these days. During the peak travel season, the airport sees lots of daily flights, mostly carrying foreign visitors who come to trek the Everest region. 

Cold weather has also affected other parts of Solukhumbu. In the district headquarters, Salleri, people are either staying indoors or sitting next to bonfires to keep them warm.

Nawaraj Parajuli of the Meteorological Center, Salleri, said the temperature in Salleri has been steadily decreasing for the past one week. The town recorded a temperature of minus two degrees Celsius on Tuesday. 

General life in the upper areas of Solukhumbu have been affected the most. In some parts, the mercury has dipped as low as minus 17 degrees Celsius. The cold weather has also halted development works in the district.