Trekkies

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As many know, Hel and I get over excited by walking/trekking/rambling for lots of reasons, but here would be five:
1. Simplicity of getting from a to b with only needing to make sure you are warm, dry and fed
2. Time to chat, or not
3. Space/vistas
4. People
5. Physicality

However, that's a bit boring and not what this is about. We've just come back from an exhilerating 5 day yomp in the Singallia National Park, going as far north as foreigners are allowed in this part of the Himalayas, to boarder points of India, Nepal and Sikkim. I'll let Hel describe the enchanting tea houses, tough climbs above the clouds and stunning sunrises and sets over Everest to the East and the Kangchendzonga (world's third highest peak and banned to people) Range directly in front of us. Instead here are top five best and worst bits of travel kit that this trip prompted a review of, as well as a few trekking moments to date I wouldn't want us to forget...


Top five useful bits of kit:
1. Silk sleeping bag liner. Sounds fancier than it is, but proved a god send on many occasion usually when it's been too hot for a sleeping bag or we want to avoid the bed bugs in some of the hostels we've stayed in
2. Books. With a good one, you need little else (I've lost Helen for the afternoon to Touching the Void). Great currency and nearly all have been swapped on the way. We're reading one or two a week so will be great top five collateral at some point
3. Long Johns. When it's five below, fashion is out the window. Still, they have been said to make the most of my big but perfectly formed behind
4. Flip flops (or 'Jangles' as my favourite colloquialism). All that pre-trip worry about having enough socks and potentially having to wear a pair for a second day. Flip flops are king... they even work with long johns if you have the right butt
5. Hand sanitiser (narrowly beats ear buds)


Top five useless bits of kit:
1. Sporks. Sorry to everyone that bought us one/some before we left, but they are utterly useless. If there hasn't been cutlery/chop sticks it's because we're supposed to use our hands. The one time Hel attempted to use one to spread some Laughing Cow on a stale baguette was sooooo funny, it suddenly and absolutely wasn't funny at all
2. Thermarests. I'm sad about this because they've been great bits of kit on other adventures (Pembrokeshire Coast) but although they're light, they're bulky and with not much call for them, they'll be going home
3. Fits-all-holes-sink plug. What? Why?
4. Sun cream spray. Has "easily applied" itself to the inside of my bag too many times
5. Inflatable pillows. I'm even ashamed to admit we have them. At least we haven't used them. Honest


Top five alternative not-to-be-forgotten trekking moments
1. A HUGE dust up half way up to the Kepler Trek in NZ on the first day due to my intially misjudged but also misintrepreted comment about "a stubborn mule needs a stubborn driver". Similar situations have since been avoided by early warnings of not to do a "Kepler"
2. Breaking the deadlock later that day while reading the visitors book (usually the only reading material and very very dry) in a very bleak hut. Under the headings 'Name, Country, Purpose of Visit and Comment'... Borat, Kazakhstan, Cultural Learnings of New Zealand for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan and "It's Nice"
3. Me waking Hel at 1am with 'brain swelling from altitude' (it's true I couldn't touch any part of my head it was so painful)
4. Claiming to solved my altitude sickness through equalising by farting (I swear this worked/s) and waking Hel on several further occaisons to report on my recovery
5. Having the runs on two different multi-day treks, having to use squat toilets in the dark and running out of paper on both occasions ... and so employing (in order) napkins, the smallest anticeptic wipes ever and Tess of the D'Urbervilles, before cutting up the triangular bandage from the first aid kit. (I was only allowed to use Tess as long as I started from the front as Hel had yet to finish)


Next treks are planned for Peru and Argentina.

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[Pops]

Thats my boy!!!!!