Himalayas 2

On top of the world

That is one blue sky

On our fourth day trekking we got up really early as we had decided to tackle Tsergo Ri, which stands at 4984 meters and gives an amazing view over the Langtan Valley. After a hearty breakfast we took off at 5.30am. It was a bitterly cold morning and the soil was still frozen. I was wearing 4 layers of clothing, including a polar fleece, and was still feeling cold, but we needed to get to the top before the heat became unbearable.

Sunrise in Langtan...not what you get in Grosvenor Terrace

I have sometimes wondered why I do this type of thing, why I take these challenges, and why I put myself through the pain and inconvenience - this trek helped me answer that question.

The previous day things had gone pretty smoothly and, as a result, I was hoping that we were going to have an easy ride - I soon discovered that I was being a bit optimistic. The walk proved to be too steep, and I felt out of my depth, however, over the past year I have given up on things too often, too soon, so I decided to stick to the path and get to the top.

Even at 4200 meters there are beautiful flowers with stunning colours

Almost at the very top, I sank in the snow a couple of times and a feeling of complete vulnerability took hold. I had told the guys to walk ahead of me and I ended up losing the path, it was not a nice moment but, as I reached the top, I understood why I had done it. It was not the awe inspiring views that made it worthwhile but the fact that I had done it.

The Himalayas are magnificent but the thing I am enjoying most is the fact that I have done it on my own. I have carried my own weight, literally, and I feel as if I have achieved something.

We have decided to cut the Himalayas trip short. We now want to go to Royal Chitwan, the best national park in Nepal, which will hopefully present us with an opportunity to see Rhinos.

I had struggled on my first day to walk two hours but on our last day I walked for ten. The backpack had become a part of me.......

Now back in Katmandu I find myself missing the mountains, the blue skies and the clear air. Everything here is grey, polluted and dirty by comparison......