My childhood dreams were to represent the UK, cycling at the Olympics, or climb the highest mountains in the world.

I have missed the London Olympic cycling team for 2012, but still want to challenge myself in the spirit of the Olympic moto: Citius, Altius, Fortius (Faster, Higher, Stronger).

On March 30th I will begin my journey to Everest Base Camp and Kala Patar in the Himalayas. I aim to reach a maximum height of 5554m or 18,200 feet where there will be half the amount of oxygen available in Cheshire.

I will be trekking for two weeks and will be posting pictures and diary entries on this blog, to record my journey and share my experiences with my wife Jill, my family & friends and the Hartford Manor Community.

Alongside the trek I hope to raise money for the "Make a Wish Foundation", who will be supporting one of our Year 6 pupils, Alfie Rogers, and his family. Alfie wishes to visit "The World of Harry Potter" at Universal Studios, Florida, with his family with support from the Foundation.

Alfie has been absent from school since July 2011, as he continues to receive treatment for bone cancer. Alfie is responding well to his treatment and has just started visiting school, to work in a small group with his classmates for up to one hour a day.

Make-A-Wish Foundation UK, is a charity with a single purpose - granting wishes to children and young people aged 3-17 fighting life-threatening conditions.

If you want to sponsor my attempt to reach Everest Base Camp and Kala Patar, and help make Alfie's wish come true, please visit my "Just Giving" page using the link on the right.

Donations through "Just Giving" are fast and totally secure. Your details are safe - they'll never share them with anyone or send you unwanted e-mails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. They'll make sure Gift Aid (an additional 28%) is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer, too.

This is not an organised charity trek, I am self funding this trip and all donations will go directly to the "Make a Wish Foundation".

Thank you for your support

Simon Kidwell

Wednesday, 11 April 2012

Kyangjuma to Tenboche

Day 4 Kyangjuma to Tenboche

Thanks to my newly acquired guide book from Barbara, there should be an improvement in my spelling of the place names and the mountains from this point in. I will also cross reference some of Dalman's facts about National Birds!

Unfortunately I was struck down with my first illness yesterday afternoon and this morning. A condition I'm politely going to refer to as Himalayan stomach. I do not want to do into further details or provide reviews of the local toileting favourites but I was in a pretty dark place this morning as  I  faced 2 hour steep climb, in thin air through the forests to Tenboche with low energy and fluid levels.  I needed some help! I called on the assistance of my iPhone and put on my Smiths/Morrissey playlist and tried not to think of my griping stomach. For those of you who do not know the work of Stephen Patrick Morrissey, he was the lead singer of the Manchester band "The Smiths" and I personally find his downbeat lyrics uplifting. After all life is always worse for Morrissey.

Thankfully my trek finished at lunch time today and I plan on drinking cola, visiting the internet cafe and eating plain boiled rice. Tomorrow,  I should meet up with the other Exodus group, who flew out on a helicopter, and are one day ahead of me. I look forward to sharing stories and seeing how they are getting on.

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