Hello everyone - from Kathmandu

Namaste

What a journey this has been so far and it is so nice to pick up all your comments and continued support. The photos Graeme has put on are just how things are over here and as they don't seem to have broadband, I'd rather not miss the Adventureworks drink in the bar this evening trying to load pics on.

We have been through so many different types of countryside, from Lukla, huffing and puffing the minute we got off the plane. We immediately started on a walk down hill. To then walking through jungle, bamboo and all. Our support team included 30 Porters, 7 Sherpas and a cook team. Having a team of 18 women is pretty unusual and in the Summit Hotel, the contact for Summit Treking said it was the first time he had known of it in his 9 years being involved in the company. Other trekkers, all nationalities, had heard of us and we became known as the team of 18 strong British Women.

The loads carried by the porters was amazing, the in the countryside there are no roads, just tracks and everything is carried by basket with a strap over the head, no fancy rucsacs. Parkas was the porter who carried not only my black bag, but Bridget's also. Porters carried two black bags, there were also Porters who carried the two Mess Tents that we sat in for meals, pitty the poor chap who carried the tables and chairs, what an awkward load that looked on the tiny and quite narrow paths at times.

We walked in the beginning, usually for 8 hours a day. Then as we got higher, day shortened until the day we went to High Camp. We set off from Khare and went straight to High Camp and what a huge day this was. We set off at about 8 am and walked continuously until about 4.30pm. High Camp is about 5,800 (don't have my diary to be exact). Everyone was exhausted, walking was a slow business - I kept a pattern of 20 steps, then 10 breaths, but felt fine.

picture this, to keep morale going, the cook team who came to High Camp made hot orange juice and I thought I was seeing things when I looked up and saw them coming down the hill with the kettle and a bag of mugs. We were all walking up the hill, some slower than others, and the two chaps went down the line to make sure everyone got a cup of hot orange. Best cup of hot orange ever!

At High Camp I was sharing a tent with Jayne and Karin and the normal two in a tent went to 3. We all just went into our sleeping bags, but my tent partners were unwell, poor Jayne was being sick into a bag. Sleep was impossible really. The tent pitching was amazing - if I went out the back door of the tent, I would have slid off the mountain. The tent was held down with boulders and we had to be careful not to knock any going out the front door, but really the place was just a scree slope.

Lying in the tent, the wind was blowing outside and we had been told that those wanting to go for the summit, would get bed tea at 1am. This time passed and I just thought they had cancelled the attempt because of the wind. Anyway, 2am came and there was noise outside. We had been told to get fully dressed, harness, crampons etc on inside the tent, but I needed the loo (more than the pee bottle would cope with), and with Jayne and Karin being ill, I just got them to chuck my stuff out of the tent, they did. I had slept with the inner boots inside the sleeping bag, but what a carry on to get the outers on, in the dark, in the cold.

Finished the loo, put on harness, crampons, tried to eat some porridge, but that was hard work. I went to the rope and was first ready on rope 2, so hooked on behind the Sherpa. Helen was ready next, then Jessica and Mary at the end. Rope 1 had already left with Margaret, Bridget and Amy.

Bright starry night, they were huge with us being so near to them. Started walking, tried to continue my previous pattern, 20 steps, 10 breaths, but that was hard going. Being first behind the Sherpa it was my job to set the pace as the Sherpa would walk without stopping. Then to 8 steps and 8 breaths. Very slowly we progressed up the mountain. Crisp snow, jumped over a few crevasse - down looked a very long way.

Up narrow snow ridge, Helen slipped and I just sat down and held her fall. Saw dawn break over Everest and I managed to capture this on video to share with you all at some future date.

We got to 6,245m and were feeling the altitude. I admitted I was finding it hard to breath, others felt the same. We discussed going on or returning. Summit was 2 to 3 hours away and we had a long way to get back down to Khare. All agreed to return, and at this point Amy joined us from rope 1 who had just been above us, she too struggling to breath.

We spent some time enjoying the views, blue sky, clear, could see all around. Teamwork, friendship, tremendous shared experience.

We headed down and arrived back at Khare at 4pm - 13 hours on the mountain. Lovely welcome by all, and Jayne had made my bed for me in the tent - she was responsible at High Camp to pack the lot up for the porter to bring down - but she admitted to jumping onto my thermarest when I left the tent at High Camp and used my sleeping bag as an extra pillow.

Celebrated the Nepalese New Year with the Sherpas at Tag Nag on the way down, but we left the drinking to them and refrained until returning to Lukla, when we had an end of expedition party.

And there is so much more to say, but you will all just need to wait for that.

Yesterday (19th), arrived in Kathmandu, lovely shower - needed half the bottle of shampoo to get any bubbles on my head! Lovely letters from Rona, Cameron, Hannah and Graeme - Anne delivered them and it was nice to meet up with her, Liz, Jules, Stella and Katya.

Lips still blistered on the inside from the cold wind up the mountain, but no frostbite or other injury - not one of us sprained anything which was amazing given where we had walked.

Shopping and exploring Kathmandu today - have to haggle, got quite into this - weight limit will be interesting on the return flight!

Going for a beer - have 3 weeks to catch up on!

British Embassy tomorrow afternoon (21st).

Nepalese Scouts taking us on a tour on Sunday (22nd), then we are off to Kakani for our community project.

See you soon.

Kristine
xxxx