Final Update - now back in UK

We are now back at home and happily reunited with the girls. Unfortunately our luggage didn't make it until two days after us, so we are in the process of unpacking now. We are a bit shocked by how bad the weather is here!
After the trekking adventure we were in a bit of a daze when we arrived in Kathmandu for the final few days. We were also badly in need of a wash and some clean clothes, luckily we had left some things there to pick up. A good sleep was also very welcome! The temperature in Kathmandu was about 28 degrees so perfect for relaxing by the pool, a bit of shopping in the markets of Thamel, and sight seeing (the Monkey Temple, Dream Gardens, and the Buddhist Temple of Boudhanath). We were lucky that Dendi had accompanied us back and we were able to enjoy several meals out with him.

Update from Base Camp
Nawal decided to leave the expedition, but Hugo, Amit and the others are still going strong despite being in close proximity to an avalanche between camp 1 and camp 2 on Saturday. The Sherpa Nima was thrown 150 metres into a crevasse, luckily he was rescued and airlifted to hospital in Kathmandu where he has broken ribs. We wish him a speedy recovery and hope everyone ese stays safe. Having witnessed how tough conditions can be we are full of admiration for anyone venturing higher than Base Camp. The team is now at Camp 2 waiting for high winds to die down.  I will be continuing to follow the progress of the expedition on haexpeditions.com/blog

Finally - pictures say it better than words so I will sign off with a final selection of photos from the trip. Hope you can access them ok through this link.

http://www3.snapfish.co.uk/snapfishuk/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=15840691010/a=3525473010_3525473010/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfishuk/

Day 14 to 17 The Descent

After 3 nights enjoying the hospitality of the climbing team at base camp it was time to leave. We said our goodbyes to Amit, Nawal and the others, wishing them every success on the mountain and confident that they were in the best hands possible! Hugo walked us back to Gorak Shep, from where we climbed a hill called Kala Patar, a great viewing point for Everest.
A word about Hugo for those who don't know him: he is an old university friend of mine who is a successful mountaineer and now runs his own expeditions company. He summited Everest two years ago as a guide. If you are interested to follow his progress and that of his team towards the summit in the next few weeks you can follow his blog on his website www.haexpeditions.com/

Because for various reasons (including illness) we had taken extra days to get up to basecamp, we decided to make up some time and descend quite quickly. So for the last 3 days we have covered about 12 miles a day, quite steep up and down but thankfully mainly down. It has been a relief to breathe air containing a decent level of oxygen, and to get rid of the headaches that plagued us further up. Our appetites are even returning! We stayed at the 'nice' lodges on the way down and noticed new views that had passed us by on the way up. We're now staying next to the infamous Lukla airport ready for a flight back to Kathmandu at 6am tomorrow. I feel tired and elated but relieved to have finished trekking, it will be good to end the trip with a couple of days in the luxurious Yak & Yeti hotel in Kathmandu.
Thanks to everyone who posted comments, I haven't worked out how to reply yet - this whole blog has been written on my iPhone so hopefully I will be able to tidy it up and add a few photos from my camera when I get back. It's been amazing how many lodges have Wifi yet lack basic plumbing and heating...

Paul's dreaming of a Big Mac on our return - I'm thinking it's got to be a beach holiday next year!

Day 13 Puja at basecamp

This morning a very important ceremony for the whole climbing team took place, as there was a Puja to bless their climb and all their climbing equipment. Out came all the ice axes, crampons etc and the ceremony took place just above camp. Prayer flags were strung out far and wide and much blessing and chanting took place around the centrepiece made of rocks,. The Sherpas in particular place huge importance on this ceremony and will not climb without it. Afterwards there was a bit of a party. The sun shone throughout which apparently is very auspicious.
As this was our last night at base camp, after dinner Paul and I were presented with a lovely cake!

Day 12 Life at basecamp

Apparently the temperature of minus 12 was for inside the tents, outside is even colder. No wonder my water bottle froze by my bed! Today was spent exhausted at base camp. Apart from a little exploring we enjoyed the strong morning sunshine and napped in the tent in the afternoon. Occasionally you can hear avalanches in the surrounding mountains, and ice cracking loudly which can be alarming. Once again, we're getting acclimatised, this time to the 5364 metres altitude.

Day 11 Base Camp is reached!

Woke up in the grotty lodge feeling a bit rough due to the increased altitude. Paul had a headache and we both felt lack of energy but we decided to press on as we were one days walk from base camp, and we had no desire to remain in that lodge!
We left Loboche at 7am and after a long tough walk we arrived at base camp at 4pm. As we walked in I even felt a bit emotional, it had been a long 8 day journey under difficult conditions and we were absolutely exhausted.
My first impressions of base camp were that it's really big and spread out, in fact it could take an hour to walk from one side to the other, also that's it's really icy and rocky. The prayer flags strung everywhere give it a feel of Glastonbury, and it's dominated by the surrounding peaks and icefall which the climbers have to get through as the first step to climbing Everest.
Our team had set up camp near the icefall and we were impressed by the arrangements, eg a cosy carpeted dining tent with a heater, where we are served delicious meals from the kitchen tent. We met the third climber from our group, Nawal, who had made his way here early. At 62 he is hoping to be the oldest Indian to summit Everest, and he is quite a character! In addition there are 3 climbing Sherpas, one of whom, Tendi, has summited 5 times already.
After dinner we retired to our tent armed with hot water bottles, I was dreading the night as it was snowing and down to minus 12.

Day 10

Set off from Dingboche and the beginning of the walk was a sunny flat stretch along the Khumbu glacial valley. It got steeper after a few hours as we struggled up 'Memorial Hill' at the top of which are many piles of stones commemorating climbers who have perished on Everest.
We arrived at Loboche (4900 metres) and possibly the least clean lodge so far..however we are encouraged that base camp is a days (long) walk away!

Day 9

We stayed an extra day in Dingboche which meant I was able to brave the outdoor tin shed containing the 'hot shower'. The man poured hot water into the barrel on top and I stripped off in freezing conditions in the shower. I turned on the water and waited shivering but the pipes were iced up! The man clambered over the top of the shed trying to de ice them but it was no use, I had to abandon the plan and wait an hour until the sun hit the shed....
Tomorrow we are off to Loboche, a days walk from base camp.

Day 8 - acclimatisation

I was under the mistaken impression that our extra 'acclimatisation' day here in Dingboche would be a chance to relax and put my feet up. However our leader Hugo advised that the plan was to set off early and climb straight up the mountain above Dingboche, to stay on the top (5000 metres or 15000 feet) for an hour or so for our bodies to start to get used to the lack of oxygen, then walk down again. Getting up took 2 to 3 hours and really got the lungs working. Great views from the top and the sun stayed out. Rest of day spent recovering, with Paul trying to shift a bad headache induced by the climb and lack of O2.
For dinner I enjoyed a tasty Dal Bhat, a type of vegetable curry with lentil sauce that the Nepalese live off. This made a welcome change to the usual 'play it safe' option of egg and chips or similar. Everyone congregates in the dining room in the evening as it is the only room with a fire, it was icy and snowing outside. However each morning is bright and clear, so we go to bed early (as early as 8pm) and get up early.

Day 7 - Pangboche to Dingboche

In the morning Hugo, Amit, Paul and I attended a special Puja ceremony - where the Buddhist Lama blessed Hugo then Amit for their forthcoming climb, and wished them safety. This included a chanting prayer, the placing of a silk scarf around their neck, and the throwing of rice grains. All around the room were plastered photos of climbers on the summit of Everest holding photos of the Lama (Geishi) which must provide encouragement. The Lama kindly performed a mini ceremony for Paul and I too!
Later we enjoyed a few hours stroll up to Dingboche, at about 4400 metres, on the way chatting to other Trekkers of various nationalities including Israeli and South African, as well as taking in views of Ama Dablam from a new angle, it's a great mountain to look at. Dendi our Sherpa/organiser has climbed it 8 times...
On arrival at our lodge I noticed that this high up the accommodation is getting really basic i.e. no more flushing loos and mostly stand up ones (not the cleanest). This combined with having to drink 4 litres of water a day due to the altitude is not a good combination!

Day 6 - first view of Everest and Ama Dablam

Loads better today which was lucky as we had a 7 hour trek to Pangboche ahead. The highlight appeared half an hour after leaving Namche: our first view of Mount Everest, although far in the distance it looked spectacular, as did Ama Dablam, Lhotse, and the Nuptse Ridge which also dominated the skyline. Continued on to Pangboche (3900 metres) to quite a basic lodge where I was glad of a hot water bottle in my sleeping bag!
In the photos Ama Dablam looks bigger because it's nearer, Everest is the peak to the left of Paul's head with spindrift (looks like cloud) blowing off the summit. Ama Dablam is the one on the right, and in the other photo with the prayer flags.
These are just the photos from my phone, will put better photos up when I can.
Thinking about home a bit now as we've been away for a week, missing the girls!!

Day 5

Wednesday started badly due to altitude sickness, Paul with a bad headache and myself headache and vomiting. This isn't unusual when you first reach such an altitude but it was bad enough for Dendi to take us to the local medical centre where the doctor checked us out, prescribed Diamox for mountain sickness, and pronounced us fine to continue with the trek. This was very reassuring and we immediately started to feel a bit better, my vision of having to be rescued by helicopter receded!
We found an Internet cafe in Namche which served great cappuccinos, bought a couple of gifts from local traders, and nearly got mown down by a loose horse cantering down a steep narrow cobbled street.

Day 4

Not feeling so great today, but we carried on to a little town perched in the mountains called Namche Bazaar, altitude 11247 feet or 3428 metres. Its a peaceful place with no cars! Not sure whether feeling ill is due to tummy bug or altitude but hope it'll clear up soon. Luckily we have an extra day or two here to acclimatise.

Day 3

6 am start and the flight I hadn't been looking forward to, to Lukla which has been voted the most dangerous runway in the world. The flight was spectacular in terms of the mountain scenery, but also terrifying as we weaved between the mountains, suddenly dropping to the extra short runway and braking dramatically to avoid the rock face at its end.
The contrast between the chaos of Kathmandu and the calm of the mountains was immediately obvious, the air much cooler and cleaner. We started walking straight away. The tracks are well maintained and every bend in the path reveals a view even more impressive than the last as you ascend. We crossed wire bridges over deep valleys, climbed hundreds of stone steps, sharing the path with yaks, horses, and porters carrying huge loads. 6 hours later we stopped for our first night in a tea lodge in Monjo, pretty basic (no heating) but good simple food.

Day 2

Early start as Hugo took us to the less touristy old quarter of Kathmandu. Lots of photo opportunities including people selling produce on the street. Followed by people desperately trying to sell us jewellery and strange little musical instruments. We ended up at Durbar Square enjoying the view of temples and general chaos below from a rooftop cafe.
A couple of observations on Kathmandu: there are regular power cuts here, due to a 'temporary energy crisis' which has been going on for years - it makes taking the hotel lift more exciting (I know, I should be using the stairs!)
Also, there are very few if any rules on the roads, and more pot holes than roads.

Day 1

8 am arrival at Kathmandu and first view of impressive mountains as the plane descended. Greeted by Hugo, Dendi his organiser, and garlands of flowers! I was immediately struck by the poverty as we drove from the airport: people sitting by the side of the road, old rickety housing, and cows wandering the streets. Amidst the traffic chaos the overall impression was of noise, colour and heat.
After crashing in our peaceful hotel we did some exploring on foot in the tourist market area of Thamel, dodging motorbikes, rickshaws and persistent taxis constantly blaring their horns.
We caught up with our old friend Hugo in the 'Roadhouse Cafe' and started looking at maps in preparation for the start of the trek on Monday.
The day finished with lively conversation over a curry with Hugo and Amit, both of whom are planning to climb Everest.

Six days to go

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Final preparations are under way which have involved making detailed plans for our absence - luckily we have fantastic support from family and friends who will be taking care of our daughters aged 12 and 15 while we are away. I'm not looking forward to saying goodbye!

The statistics of our trip can be summarised as follows: we will fly in from Kathmandu  to Lukla (one of the trickiest runways in the world), and over the course of about 14 days ascend to Everest Base Camp at 17500 feet (and back). We will walk about 106 km in total. The weather should be fine to start with but go down to about minus 18 degrees celsius at night at Base Camp. Hence the down sleeping bags.

Preparation

Training today in the Brecon Beacons, 10 miles in varied weather conditions including sun and sleet. Enjoyed the picnic lunch and lovely views of Pen Y Fan. Unfortunately Paul's GPS system ran out of batteries half way round. This was apparently my fault as I brought the batteries in the pound shop...anyhow luckily we found our way back. We have also spent time in the Lake District, South Coast, and more locally around Bath, wearing in our walking boots on various day-long walks in an attempt to prepare for the forthcoming ordeal..