Nepal is a much poorer country than India and this is reflected in the state of the roads. My first experience of Nepali roads was returning to Kathmandu by bus after 3 weeks in the Everest region. The first leg, between Shivalaya and Jiri, is rough, to say the least. A similar road in New Zealand would certainly be considered suitable for 4WD vehicles only. We felt like a human milk shake as the bus lurched along the rough track. I couldn't help thinking of all ...

Struggling to the top of Kongma La I could barely manage 20 granny steps without needing to sit down for a rest. At a height of 5500m above sea level the air pressure (and therefore the available oxygen) here is greatly reduced. Even packing up camp earlier that morning had been an effort. Little tasks such as rolling up the tent seemed monumental. Sleep that night had been fitful with barely enough oxygen. Kieran had been breathing sporadically - apparently...