That Summer: A last-minute trip to Everest base camp in 2008

Sadie Whitelocks headed to the Himalayas as a 21-year-old searching for adventure – with hardly any kit or preparation

The breathtaking views at Everest Base Camp (Sadie Whitelocks)

Intense terror crept up on me as I bounced through the mountain mist with Yeti Airlines. My destination was Tenzing-Hillary Airport​ in Lukla, Nepal, often considered to be one of the world’s most dangerous airports.

Perched at more than 9,000ft above sea level, where the thin air already makes flying difficult, the airport has the added challenge of a truncated landing strip, which at 1,729ft long, is just a fifth of the average runway at an international hub.

The towering mountains around it offer little room for error. And then there’s the notoriously temperamental weather in the Himalayas.