My name is Matthieu McMullan, I am 17 years old and I live in Redditch, I am a cadet within the Royal Air Force Air Cadets (RAFAC). I have been selected to go on a trip to Nepal through the RAFAC.

(Credit photo:Vincent Whiteman Phtography)

This 21-day expedition to Nepal is a once in a lifetime opportunity, our aim is to trek around some of the local peaks (Kala Pathar 5,644 metres) whilst helping the community by volunteering at a local school.

We will spend some time volunteering in the small village of Pangboche working at a local school helping the community with their education and their English. Pangboche is a popular village for hikers to start their treks from, so it is of the most importance for the children of the village to understand and speak basic English in order to either advance and leave the village for higher education or, to stay and become a successful guide for the paying tourists (more info on the itinerary below).

For this, I need money around £3000. Over the next few months, I will be taking part in several fundraising events, including abseiling in Birmingham and 3 weekend walks in Wales. In addition, I will be getting in touch with local businesses to hopefully get sponsorship and/or items to raffle.

Thank you in advance for your contributions. I'll update this page regularly to let you how I get on with fundraising and my training!

Here is the itinerary of the trip:

Day 1: Arrive Kathmandu

(Credit photo: trvl)

Day 2: Gear check Optional sightseeing Kathmandu Valley

Day 3: Fly to Lukla and trek to Phakding

Day 4: Trek to Namche Bazaar (3450 metres)

Day 5: Rest day & sightseeing in Namche Bazaar with afternoon walk to Everest View Hotel

(Credit photo: Aventure Nepal Eco Treks)

Day 6: Trek to Deboche and visit Monastery

Day 7: Trek to Dingboche – Another stunning day of trekking brings us to the peaceful haven of Dingboche.

Day 8: Rest day – At this stage in the trek each day sees us gaining height – so it is important to leave time to rest and acclimatize at key points. We will relax in Digboche today and take a short walk to aid the acclimatization process.

Day 9: 4hr trek to Lobuche

Day 10: Rest day

Day 11: Trek to Gorak Shep and ascend Kala Patar – Kala Patar is a peak in a stunning location. (5,500 metres!)

Day 12: Return to Lobuche – Once we have ascended Kala Patar it is time to turn and retrace our steps towards home. Fortunately, it is mostly downhill from here!

Day 13: Trek to Pangboche

(Credit photo: Stefan Burkhardt)

Day 14: Project at local school

Day 15: Project at local school

Day 16: Project at local school

Day 17: Trek to Namche Bazaar

Day 18: Trek to Lukla

(Credit photo: Zen Masala)

Day 19: Contingency Day - The weather in Lukla sometimes prevents flights from leaving so we always leave a spare day to allow for unexpected delays

Day 20: Fly to Kathmandu

Day 21: Trip Ends - Depart from Kathmandu