Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I have decided to trek to Everest Base Camp to support the fantastic work of St Oswald Hospice.  I am being supported in this venture by my employer - Cundall LLP - an international engineering consultancy who will be matching a significant proportion of my sponsorship, helping your wonderful donation go even further.  I will be embarking on an intensive training programme for this, so any help you can give to make this worthwhile is really appreciated.  Thanks once again!

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Here is the itinerary for the trip....

Day 1 (Sat 7th May 2016): London – Kathmandu
Depart London on an overnight flight to Kathmandu (via Asian or Middle Eastern hubs).

Day 2 (Sun 8th May): Kathmandu (1400m)
Arrive in Kathmandu and check into our hotel. Today is free for you to explore the local area before having a briefing on the challenge ahead from our main Sherpa guide and enjoying a welcome dinner and cultural show tonight. Kathmandu is a living museum with something new around each corner! Literally hundreds of Hindu temples sit alongside Buddhist stupas and Tibetan monasteries with their evocative prayer flags flapping in the breeze.

Day 3 (Mon 9th May): Kathmandu – Lukla (2843m) – Monjo (2835m) 4 hours
Fly with our guide to Lukla this morning on a scenic 40-minute flight landing on a steep mountain runway which sets the scene for our forthcoming trek! We will meet our assistant guides and our porters before starting the trek up the Dudh Koshi Valley on a well-marked trail towards Phakding where we cross and re-cross the river on a series of high suspension bridges before we arrive into the small village of Monjo where we stay overnight.

Day 4 (Tue 10th May): Monjo - Namche (3445m) 5-6 hours
Beyond Monjo is the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park, set up in order to protect and preserve the fragile mountain environment for future generations of trekkers and mountaineers. From Monjo we take a steep hike to Namche where, if the weather is clear, we catch our first glimpse of Mt Everest. Namche is the main trading village in the Khumbu and has a busy market, numerous shops, cafes and most famously, freshly baked apple pies!

Day 6 (Thu 12th May): Namche - Deboche (3820m) 5-6 hours
From Namche, the trail contours on to the side of the valley, high above the Dudh Kosi river where we get our first really good views of the great peaks of the Khumbu. Passing several villages and numerous tea shops we descend steeply into the forest towards the village of Phunki Tenga situated next to the river, where we stop for lunch. After lunch we take a steep climb out of the forest to Tengboche which is famous for its monastery, the largest in the Khumbu. We then descend to a village nearby, Deboche, where we stay overnight.

Day 7 (Fri 13th May): Deboche - Dingboche (4410m) 6-7 hours
This morning we continue to descend through the forest until we cross the river and start our steady ascent up towards the village of Dingboche, stopping at a village for lunch. The trail this afternoon opens up into what feels like a vast plain after following a narrow trail earlier in the day. You can notice the temperature dropping as you approach Dingboche, which is at the highest altitude on the trek so far.

Day 8 (Sat 14th May): Dingboche (acclimatisation day)
Today is another important day for acclimatization. You will ascend to around 4600m from where you will have panoramic views of the nearby peaks and the rural farmland in the valley below. Look out for Ama Dablam, Amphu Gyabjen, Cholatse and Tabuche which surround vast glaciers and turquoise lakes. This afternoon you can explore the village and perhaps visit one of the bakeries or cafes for refreshment.

Day 9 (Sun 15th May): Dingboche - Lobuche (4910m) 5-6 hours
We retrace our steps from yesterday’s acclimatisation up the wide valley beneath the impressive peaks of Cholatse and Tabuche but turn right and take a steep ascent towards the foot of the Khumbu Glacier. We stop to have lunch at Thukla (4620m), a small village surrounded by vast peaks before continuing on the trail towards the memorial, home to tributes to all those who have died in Nepal’s Himalayas. After some time to reflect, we continue following the Khumbu glacier up towards the cluster of houses at Lobuche where we stay for the night.

Day 12 (Wed 18th May): Pheriche - Kyangjuma (3550m) 5-6 hours
Today's trek is mostly downhill as we retrace our steps and descend to Kyangjuma, a village just outside of Namche. There are lots of places of interest along the way including a trekker’s health post, water driven prayer wheels and rhododendron forests.

Day 13 (Thu 19th May): Kyangjuma - Monjo (2840m) 4-5 hours
Today we continue on the trail to Namche and Monjo. We will take a small detour this morning to visit Khumjung (3780m) and Khunde (3840m), where you can visit the Edmund Hillary School and hospital, both still in use today. We descend into Namche for lunch before making our way back to Monjo for the night.

Day 14 (Fri 20th May): Monjo - Lukla (2843m) 4 hours
Today marks our final day of trekking as we follow the Dudh Kosi back to Lukla for a rest before flying back to Kathmandu the following day. Here you may wish to visit one of the many bars, cafes and restaurants including Starbucks, Yakdonalds and the Irish Pub or simply relax and reflect on the incredible achievement you have made over the past 11 days. Tonight you will enjoy a celebratory meal together and have a thank you and tip ceremony for the Sherpa staff.

Day 15 (Sat 21st May): Lukla - Kathmandu
This morning we will depart Lukla on the earliest flights back to Kathmandu. We will arrive at the hotel just before lunch and you can enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. This evening we will enjoy a farewell meal in Kathmandu. Overnight at a hotel.

Day 16-17 (Sun 22nd – Mon 23rd May): Kathmandu - London
Today there may be time this morning for some final shopping before you transfer to the airport for the flight home (via Asian or Middle Eastern hubs), arriving the following morning.