International airlines have a love-hate relationship with Everest climbers. They love that we bring lots of baggage, usually oversize and overweight, and they can charge us ridiculous sums of money to transport it. I’ve often heard climber discussing the ways that they managed to get their bags to Katmandu without extra charges, things like wearing their mountaineering boots onto the plane! On the other hand they hate the stuff we bring. There’s the stack of AA batteries in one bag that look suspicious on x-ray. As do all the pointy things like ice axes, crampons, ice screws and trekking poles. On more than one occasion I have heard my name paged across the airport terminal as I sit waiting to board. I know that I will have to go and explain something in my bags, perhaps all the radios or other electronics.
I know my bags will be opened and the contents gone through, I just hope they don’t confiscate my Bic lighters like they did one year. Trying to light a stove at 24,000 feet with a Chinese lighter bought in Kathmandu is a frustrating and thumb-hurting experience!