When did this desire/madness come over me, to want to climb one of the worlds highest peaks. And what Carolynn really wants to know is who’s responsible for encouraging me!!!

There are, I believe, two people, besides myself, who could partially take the blame. I won’t name them just yet, but I think it will become clear as you read on!

Over the last few years, I’ve had both the pleasure and privilege of walking 100 metres behind a certain gentleman, who is somewhat older than myself and considerably fitter. Together we’ve failed the West Highland way…twice (he has subsequently walked it without my help!), been to the Dolomites three times, where he did a couple of firsts, like going on a cable car, skiing and clipping himself onto a Via Ferrata. He’s saved my life on the Devils Stair Case in Glen Coe. Taken me on some of the most horrendous paths, i.e. not marked on any known map, I’ve ever walked on. Had me crawling on my hands and knees on the summit of a snow & ice clad Carnedd Llewelyn, in a howling gale at -10 degrees. He’s taught me how to look invisible to any other people on the mountains. Made me feel guilty every time I throw my banana skins away and has very reluctantly shared his cake with me and finally we’ve spent hours putting the world and roundabouts to rights!

Uncle Les on Moel Siabod

After saying all of that, he’s taken my constant mickey taking and abuse, but most of all he has trained with me, without complaint (even at 6am, with a prospect of a three-hour drive  to North Wales) and shown me again and again some of the most beautiful and solitary mountains in the Britain. It can only be UNCLE LES.

Uncle Les

The other person who could have put a halt to my dreams, is some one Carolynn hasn’t even met. I met him for the first time on my trip to Makalu Advance Base Camp in 2009 (he was the Sirdar). He appears to be very quite and retiring, but has a single-mindedness that will probably make him only the second Sherpa to have climbed all 14 8,000 metre peaks by 2014.

Whilst in Kathmandu after the Makalu trek I picked up a map of Island Peak (Imja Tse) and Lobuche East. After discussing it with the Sirdar, he offered to take me in the Spring of 2011. Although we failed to climb Lobuche East, because of high winds, we did manage to summit Island Peak.

Tshering Dorje Sherpa

Could I please compare climbing with childbirth….without offending too many women….there are times when you are on the mountain and its absolute hell and you say the inevitable ‘Never Again’ but when you get back down to the comfort of the hotel, the pain is forgotten and only the elation remains…..well it happened again. I got to Kathmandu and thought I could climb the sixth highest mountain in the world, Cho Oyu. So I asked the Sirdar only one  question “Did he think I was capable of making it to the summit of Cho Oyu” his reply “Yes I can get you to the summit”. Is there any better encouragement, than that?

Tshering & I on the Summit of Island Peak

His name is Tshering Dorje Sherpa and his website link is below:

http://www.himaladventure.com/

There are a number of other reprobates, who require a mention…they will appear all in good time.

While on the trip to Island Peak in 2011 I met an Australian group who were climbing the same peak. They were with an organisation called Trek Climb Ski run by Nick Farr. We did the usual things that you do on holiday at 6200m and swapped email addresses and the promise to share photographs and video footage. The surprising thing is, we actually did and here’s a link to some of the footage he took on the final section of the Island Peak ascent.

The reason I mention Nick is because he’s been extremely helpful with the preparations for my trip to Cho Oyu. He’s offered to lend me his down suit and boots, rather than me having to purchase new, knowing full well that anything I bought new would only get used the once and for probably only a few days of the 44 day trip. He’s also given me advice on insurance. The advice being don’t worry about it above 6,500m, because if you get ill or injured above that height, basically you’re buggered!!! He’s sent me his kit lists and suggested that I ring him closer to the trip for any further advice.  I’d like to take this opportunity to publically thank him for all his help and I hope his baby, Max, has started sleeping through the night!!!

The one thing Nick did say to me is that from the summit of Cho Oyu, there is the best view of Everest from anywhere in the world……and that once I’ve seen it, I’ll want to climb it. All I ask is that Carolynn shoots me first!!!

I’ve set this blog up ready for when I go to Cho Oyu in April 2013.

Therefore there will only be one or two posts before 8th April. After then I hope to be able to blog daily until I get above Advanced Base Camp. Once above Base Camp I probably won’t be able to blog again until I return down the mountain.

All this is new to me, so I might post a couple of blogs before leaving for Kathmandu, to make sure that this technology doesn’t get the better of me, when I’m there.