I haven’t really mentioned the weather recently, the reason is that the day starts with a crystal clear sky and by lunch time the clouds come rolling in, obscuring all in their path and by evening it’s like the old London smogs in the early 1900’s. A thick impenetrable mist, both damp and cold and this has been the case for the last four or five days.

Yesterday we started the five day trek to Mera Peak on the usual trekking route. Apparently there is one expedition three days in front. As there is rumoured to be a considerable amount of fresh snow higher up, they can have the hard work of breaking the trail! And I know what that’s like, as it’s the only time Uncle Les has dropped behind me, when we were in the Dolomites one winter and we had to break trail up to the Sella plateau and it was b…..dy hard work…he’s a cunning old b…….r!!!!

Again I’m writing this during our usual two hour lunch stop, however there’s even more to feed, as we have taken on six extra porters…..let’s hope it doesn’t drag on any longer than usual, as it makes either the morning very short or makes it late before we arrive at camp. I am, however, getting used to these breaks and on a couple of occasions when it’s been particularly cold the Sherpa has lit a fire and forty winks, is then the order of the day, I think I must be becoming like my Father, who took forty winks every lunchtime (some would say I’m already like him and I don’t necessarily think that it’s meant as a compliment….although I do!!!!)

As I said It should take about five days to get to Mera Peak Base Camp as we will have to ascend reasonably slowly so as to acclimatise….around 300m – 500m per day. So yesterday wasn’t too strenuous, a fairly gentle ascent from 2,800m to 3,200m.

Today, however has been a day of Nepali flat at its worse. We’ve only just stopped for lunch after five hours of walking and although we have ascended and descended many times we are 200m lower than where we stopped last night and I think our campsite is supposed to be 200m higher. Actually I’m not looking forward to this afternoon, I think it will be well after 5pm before we arrive, making this the longest day we’ve done so far. (Scrap that we camped where we had lunch as the porters were so far behind us)!

So what do I think to it so far…..well the walking has been very enjoyable, with the hot , reasonably easy walking of the Aaron Valley to the ever increasing cold as we edge slowly towards Mera Peak and the walking is certainly getting more challenging. The Sherpas, Cook and porters have all been fantastic. They’ve been helpful, friendly and fun to be with. The other client, Chandanu, has been easy to get on with, but as the days draw on she been spending more time with the Sherpas etc. as their language is very similar and her English, as I’ve mentioned before is limited. As usual I have AHS (acute homesickness syndrome) compounded by the lack of conversation, but as with past expeditions I’ll have to live with that. The only real downer is that Tshering still hasn’t turned up and nobody seems to know where he is, but the Sherpas keep assuring me that he is on his way. They have been saying that for one and a half weeks now. I’m disappointed and saddened, that he has not yet joined us, but am still hoping that he will before we get to Mera Peak.