I'm back from my first trek now which was the Everest one, it wasn't quite what I expected but it was quite nice for most of it. There were 9 people in the group, mostly from oz and nz, it was a good group, everyone was nice to talk to and hang out with.

We started off from Kathmandu 2 weeks ago, very early in the morning, on a scary little Indiana Jones type propellor plane, which had to land at Lukla half way up a cliff at 2800m altitude- the runway started on the edge of the cliff face and ended about 250m later in a cliff face. Fortunately I didn't really see what we'd landed on until afterwards!

The first few days walking I found really nice, its quite alpine with pine trees and chalet wood buildings, and I found the uphill bits fine even up to 3800m as long as I went slowly, thank goodness I did all the jogging! It was hot and sunny in the day and cold and starry at night, but I was warm enough with my down jacket and sleeping bag (and many layers) and later my oh so trendy yak wool hat and gloves.

The places we stayed were really basic, most of them had an outdoor squat toilet only, no shower or running water, no light in the evening (thankfully I put my head torch in, but it does get a bit tiresome going to bed and the squat toilet by headtorch when its freezing cold). After 4000m I could feel the altitude more, and it felt more tiring for a day, but then I got used to that too. The places we went between 4000 and 5000 were the most remote places i've ever been, they look like lunar colonies and the only animal around much was the yak.

But towards 5000m I started to struggle with the altitude a lot more, despite taking diamox, and everything was really exhausting, and even unpacking my sleeping bag left me out of breath and i was coughing all the time. So as far as Everest base camp went, I struggled to the top end of the valley where it was but stopped at the last rest stop, gorak shep, about 2-3 miles away. I could have really pushed myself to go but I would have hated it and by that point i didn't care if i went or not. so i stayed behind and read my book in the sun. After the others came back I was even more glad I didn't go, cos it made it nearly an 11 hour walking day which everyone found absolutely shattering, and there's nothing there- its just a gravel bank in a valley of gravel banks, with no sign, no tents, and no view of Everest. God that valley was hard work, even on the way 'down' it took me 6 hours to descend 200m the next day. But then below 4900m we charged back down and retraced the whole way up in 3 days, and it was much better again!

I am pleased to get back to Kathmandu and shower and do laundry, I was getting sick of having black fingernails and dusty clothes. But its off again Monday for the next , longer trek round the Annapurna Circuit, which goes higher! This is the one I'm doing in aid of the Stroke Association, so please be prepared to donate some money to them if I make it round the circuit- its circular this time so no cutting out portions will be possible! :)