Not in Lingfield, but close by. Last re-packing about to happen when I can raise the required energy to do so. Off to Heathrow in a couple of hours or so to begin the weariness of international travel. Next entry on here is likely to be when I return to the UK (perhaps the 19th) unless I unexpectedly find some method to update this along the way.... read more

Tuesday evening. Three days until I fly. Another visit to the familiarly bland launching pad of Heathrow on Friday evening. Land in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) Saturday morning and then on to Kilimanjaro airport (Tanzania) by Saturday lunchtime. On to Marangu for the night in preparation for a drive up to Nale Moru (6,397ft) and hike up to 8,530ft for the first night's camping (Sunday 12th). Hike up to Kikelewa Caves (11,811ft) for the second night (Monday 13th). Hike up to Mawenzi Tarn (14,206ft) for the third night (Tuesday 14th). Hike across the lunar desert of the saddle to Kibo to camp under the Kibo Crater wall (15,419ft) and try to grab any sleep possible before summit day. Thursday 16th - summit day. Begin the ascent at midnight and march up through the moonlight aiming for the ... read more

Wandered down the valley over the past two days and caught a flight from Lukla early this morning so now typing from Kathmandu again. Last two days on the hills were good fun but tinged with sadness at having to leave the confused idyll of the highest place on earth. Bought a new football on arrival in Lukla and gathered the teenagers of the village (and a few others) for a great game of football really quite close to the cliff edge. The pitch was riddled with boulders and stones and the game suffered as a result but it was awesome to have a dozen keen and laughing Nepalese to run around with under the snowy mountains. My star striker (Nepalese kid of about fourteen) scored nine or ten goals so I awarded him the match ... read more

Not typing from Namche, typing from the wee seasonal settlement of Dragnag at the western end of the Cho La Pass trail. We crossed the pass today in glorious sunshine but biting cold winds. Truly stunning to be standing atop the eastern end of the pass after a great scramble up a rocky trail from Dzongla early this morning. Where did I type from last I wonder? I think it was probably the second Dingboche visit. Well, since then, we trekked up to Lobuche where I still had just enough energy after a day's trekking and an afternoon acclimatisation hike to the moraine above the serenely violent Khumbu glacier to play the highest game of football I've ever played by about 4,500m. Then up to Gorak Shep and up to Everest Base Camp (as much of ... read more

I type from a wee room in a wee hotel in the stupendous splendour of Namche Bazar. We flew in to Lukla yesterday and the flight was fantastic. The landing does indeed make you realise you're awake but then flying straight into a mountain-face really should worry the mind slightly. But I enjoyed it immensely. Then pause in Lukla for lunch with the most breathtaking views before plodding 3 hours or so through inspiring gorges and valleys to the tiny village of Phakding. Overnight in a pretty smart lodge by the river. Awake to clear skies and mountain-tops all around (they were hidden in the afternoon cloud the day before). More stunning mountain-tops all around as we trek the six hours up to Namche. Some impressive crossing on swingbridges swung high above the rushing river in ... read more