Kathmandu is half way between Delhi and Calcutta, and less than half way between Delhi and Dhaka. On this track, the Himalaya is seen as a faraway line of snow mountains. It is when you fly into Kathmandu or Paro airports that you dip into the mountains themselves, and the individual peaks loom large.
A distinctive change to flying in and out of Kathmandu is about to occur now that India and Nepal have agreed to a new air passage to New Delhi and beyond. The old flight path took you east and south from Kathmandu Valley, over Lucknow, where the plane takes a 40 degree right hand turn. If you have a right hand seat, then you can see the capital of Avadh spread out below the wings, Hazratganj, the stadium, the Gomti river, and Mahanagar across it.
This view is about to be history. The westbound aircraft out of Kathmandu are now set to shun Lucknow, and follow Nepali territory all the way to the western border river of Mahakali, thereafter to turn southward to Delhi or continue on to Pakistan, the Gulf and Europe.
While I will miss the view of Lucknow, I am looking forward to the new sights on the Kathmandu-Westbound leg. The peaks of Gorkha Himal, Annapurna and Dhaulagiri are old friends, visible on the current route. With the new flight path, I look forward to spotting the two peaks of the far west of Nepal, Api and Sapial, and a closer acquaintance with the Garhwal, Kumaon and Himachal Himalaya.
Peering over the Himalayan rimland while flying at 30+ thousand feet along the Western Nepal Tarai, I wonder if the Changtang plains of the Tibetan plateau will be visible. And whether, amidst the Changtang, one can see Mount Kailash. I sincerely hope so.
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