Well - we did it! What an amazing experience - one I will remember for the rest of my life. The people, the food, the scenery - everything about the trip was so so enjoyable and memorable.

Day -1 (Fri) : Set off from Winchester at 3pm. The 8 Rainbow trekkers met at Rainbow in Fareham for the journey up to Heathrow and onto the Qatar flight to Doha, changing there for Kathmandu, Nepal.

Day 0 (Sat) : Arrived at Hotel Malla, 21 hours after setting off. Adjusted the clocks for +5 ¾ hours, an unusual time difference.

Day 1 (Sun) : Set off on the 120 mile, 6 hour coach journey to the trek start point. Kathmandu is 1350m above sea level, but the start point was only around 800m. A short afternoon trek to around 1200m, taking in a local school where previous treks has helped to fund a £5000 toilet block for the 385 children. As a result we were treated like royalty.

Day 2 (Mon) : Trekked to 1750m with an amazing camp site perched on a rise with views down to the valley floor and up to the Himalayas.

Day 3 (Tues): A tough day, climbing to 3100m. Warm during the day (circa 22), but once the sun went down it got very cold. The camp fire kept us warm during the evening, then into the tents with -6 outside overnight.

Day 4 (Wed) : The big day, starting out at 7am and trekking to around 4000m. It was well worth the efforts, with amazing 360 degree views across the clouds over Nepal and up to the Himalayas. It was a real shame to have to turn back to the camp for lunch then further down to the evenings camp at 2500m.

Day 5 (Thurs) : A long way down to around 900m, fairly steep and slippery in places. Back to near civilisation with the first meat on the menu for 5 days.

Day 6 (Fri) : A steady mornings walk along the edge of the river with lunch followed by the 6 hour journey back to Kathmandu. A hot shower and bed were very welcome. Slept very well that night.

Day 7/8 (Sat/Sun) : Sightseeing and relaxing in and around Kathmandu. A student protest against the ruling king resulted in riot police outside of the hotel on Sunday, but all just part of a typical day in Nepal.

Day 9 (Mon) : The 21 hour journey home - back to the family which was nice, but already missing the peace, beauty and tranquillity of Nepal.

Why I did this: Jacob, the oldest of my 3 children was born in October 2000 and diagnosed with CP (Cerebral Palsy) when he was 18 months old. We were very lucky to find out about the Rainbow centre, almost accidentally. From the first day we took him there, they provided Jacob with the support and confidence that he needed to learn to take his first steps. Over the past 3+ years Jacob has developed from being unable to stand unsupported to a confident boy who can ride a (stabilised) bike and walk very short distances unaided. Jacob is one of the luckier ones at the Rainbow centre - Cerebral Palsy can affect children in so many ways and to so many degrees. The Rainbow centre can provide support for all those affected and adds to the quality of life for all the children to some degree. The centre is not financially supported by Health, Education or Social Services - the running costs of the centre of around £20,000 per month are supported entirely from charitable donations. My personal goal was to raise in excess of £5,000 - one weeks contribution to running the centre - a goal I have now acheived thanks to the generosity of so many family, friends, neighbours, colleagues, fellow squash and football players and people I don't know but have read about my goal in the local school newsletter and the local paper. I am so very grateful to everyone who has helped me get to this goal - you can still sponsor me on this site until the end of January so for those with promises still to fulfil, please feel free to use the site. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: The Rainbow Centre For Conductive Education Ltd will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you. (You can find out more about the centre on their website at: http://www.rainbowcentre.org )

Many thanks again for your support. Andy, Sam, Jacob and friends