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Nepal

I met up with my original group last night. We dined in Kilroy's and I consumed more food than I have eaten in the past two weeks. The group enjoyed their time in Langtang and had many experiences that mirrored my own.

Whilst I haven't seen Sukman, the Exodus team tell me that his nephew is still under observation at the hospital and is making good progress.

I started enjoying hill walking over 20
years ago with Matthew and Micheal Scott-Joynt. I purchased of my first proper walking boots in Llangollen in 1995 and started to discover the Welsh mountains with my wife Jill. The addition of my two "mountain" poodles who have accompanied me on some of the Britains most challenging walks from Crib Goch to the Cullins have helped me to stay relatively fit.
I began to read about the history of Everest and the Himalayas in 1996, never thinking I would get an opportunity to visit Nepal and climb in the highest mountains in the world.
Nepal has exceeded my expectations and is breathtakingly beautiful, but, if you do not enjoy hill walking I would argue that Nepal is worth visiting for the people alone. The people I have met in Kathmandu and the High Mountains have been welcoming, respectful, hard working and honest. One Australian traveller described the experience of Kathmandu as " like India but without the hassle factor." The culture shock of stepping off the plane, getting in a 25 year old Suzuki taxi and being driven through the dusty streets of Kathmandu is amazing.
Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world outside of Africa, and despite the huge gulf in the prosperity of the western travellers and local population it remains a safe country.
I feel privalleged to have spent two weeks traveling in Nepal, meeting the people and climbing the mountains.

Keeping in touch which freinds, family and the Hartford Manor and Darnhall Community has been a highlight. I am delighted that your donations to the "Make a Wish Foundation" are approaching £2000 including gift aid. I have had a number of messages from Alfie and his family who are very appreciative of your generosity. Please pass the details of the "Just Giving Page" http://www.justgiving.com/Simon-Kidwell
and blog details http://simonkidwell2012.blogspot.com/

to friends and family.

Thanks for you support.

Simon

Sent from my iPhone

Kathmandu

I'm back in Kathmandu at the Royal Singi Hotel.

Sent from my iPhone

We're off

Lukla Runway

I've finished walking

The last three days I have walked 40 miles and descended a knee crunching 3000m. One of my big concerns before the trek was how well my dodgy footballer knees would stand up to the pounding. Thankfully, with the assistance of my trekking poles and Delman carrying most of my luggage, my knees have survived. Being carried down the mountain by an angry yak would have been an undignified end to my journey.

One of the advantages of having come from such a high altitude is the increased fitness on the inclines. I am told this increased aerobic capacity only lasts a couple of weeks, but I hope to show the "Sandbach Sunday Cyclers" my new turn of speed on the local Cheshire cols in the coming weeks.

I have a flight booked out of Lukla at 6am tomorrow. I am due back in the UK on Wednesday morning and hopefully will be back at Hartford Manor at lunchtime, for one of Mrs. Stackhouse's roast dinners.

Delman

Tomorrow I say farewell to Delman. He has carried my Exodus bag, brought me a cup of black tea in the morning and tried to teach me about his country and the surrounding mountains. Delman's English is good up to a point...... that point being when you reply in English without any charade type actions!
He has tried to engage in conversation with openers including "How many rivers does your country have?" and "How have you been doing?"; But on he whole we have got on famously.
It is customary to tip the local guides/sherpas/porters for a trip. A privately hired porter works for about $20-$25 a day and tips help subsidise their income.
Alongside his tip, I have thrown in a photo of the two of us at base camp and a packet of McVitie Ginger Nuts within their sell by date, which proved pretty hard to track down. The first dusty packet I found, had a sell by date of 2009.