After two years of planning and fundraising the expedition began with much unpacking and repacking of rucksacks in the Sports Hall at school on Sunday 10^th July.  A day-and-a bit later we were settling into our hostel in Kathmandu: somewhat jet-lagged & disorientated!

On Thursday 14^th July we made our way to Shree Yagyamati School in Kopan, some 15km from Kathmandu, where we were enthusiastically greeted by the entire school and presented with flowers and prayer scarves. After buying materials in the village we began the hard work of moving furniture, sanding down iron shutters & grills and painting shutters, window bars and walls. Everyone worked really hard, so our appetites were growing faster than our mastery of cooking dal bhat (lentils and rice) on the stove we had hired!  Each night we were so tired from the day’s work that we managed to sleep despite the torrential rain on the tin roof of the classroom we were sleeping in. During our 5 days at the school we also managed to visit and attend prayers at the famous Kopan Monastery on the hill above the school.

Our trek began in earnest when we  set off from Dunche early on Wednesday 20^th July to head up and over the leech- infested hills to Thulo Shyaphru (although we had had to disembark and clamber over two quite extensive landslides on the bus journey to Dunche the previous day). The pattern for the next 16 days was the same: early rise; pack up tents or sleeping bags if we had stayed in a Tea House; breakfast; trek up and down (though mostly up); lunch; trek; camp; dinner; early bed! It was a really tough trek and the monsoon conditions did not make it any easier but, most of all, it was amazing! On the final day of our trek, at Chisapani, we were treated to clear skies and a breathtaking view of the high Himalayas!

Our last three days were spent in Kathmandu, sightseeing: Durbar Square, The Hindu Temple (Pashupatinath) and the Monkey Temple (Swayambhunath) were some of the highlights.