Mera Peak - Day 6 Kote

On the sleep front last night was much better. It was a very cold night, ice on the inside of the tent, but I was OK inside my sleeping, used the fleece liner for the first time and it certainly improved things. Still I don't think my sleeping bag is good enough for the 5,000 plus metre nights and if I can hire a 5 season bag at Tangnag I will do.

Leaving Changbu Kharka

Mera Peak - Day 5 Changbu Kharka

Had a poor night's sleep last, too cold, the camp was at 3,500m and I'm just a bit worried that my sleeping bag is not up to the job. High Camp, the last night before we summit, is at 5,800m so it's going to be a lot colder - have still not used my fleece liner, and have lots of thermals I can wear in the bag but I now regret not hiring a really heavy duty sleeping bag.

The porters piling up the pass at Chalem Kharka

Amazing path up to the top of the pass

Mera Peak - Day 4 Chalem Kharka

Another tip, if you're coming on a supported camping trip to Nepal, bring a metal drinks tin. They make fantastic hot water bottles and are a brilliant way of drying out your sweaty socks. It's amazing, if you dry them out the smell seems to disappear and you feel OK about wearing them for more days.  The socks also provide some insulation for the bottle which if you get it just right carries on giving out a gentle heat all night.

Today's walk was a relatively short 5/6 hour session. Water is essential for lunch and the limited number of available water options meant a late start, 8.30, early lunch 11.30 and an early finish (3.30).

Al fresco breakfast

Mera Peak - Day 3 Nashing Dingma

Today we got our first sighting of Mera Peak and it might be a trekking mountain but it's big, scarily big. For the first time I was grabbed by a challenge of climbing it, both the excitement about getting to the top and concern that I might not be able to do it. I got the same feeling when I started the walk along the E4 last year.

First hazy sight of Mera (the one in the middle!)

Mera Peak - Day 2 Pangkongma

My number 1 tip if you're doing an altitude walk in the Himalayas is hire a sleeping bag rather than bring your own. The ones you get with Exodus are by all accounts excellent and cost £25 for the 17 day trek.  You can hire them at Shona's in Kathmandu for even less.  I've got a four season sleeping bag with a fleece liner which theoretically should be warm enough but isn't.  I'm already feeling the cold and last night was only 2,900 metres - seriously worrying.  If I had hired one I would also have had far more room in by bag to take home loads of goodies from Kathmandu - yak blankets and things - and my previous storage space at home wouldn't be filled up with hanging sleeping bags. 

Mera Peak - Day 1 Puyan

Said goodbye to the last of the Annapurna group and started to get to know the new Mera Peak team. Counting me there are 7 men, all with the same or more experience of altitude trekking than me.  Christine of course left for England yesterday. Started the day feeling just slightly apprehensive.

The trip really began yesterday with inspection and briefing.  Jangbu is a the tour leader again and knowing him already is a big help. He has a nice way with him, good sense of humour, cracks jokes, but happy to act as a leader.  His kit inspection was not a formality and a number of items were politely rejected.

Annapurna Circuit - March 2012

Christine has wanted to walk the Annapurna Circuit ever since we made our first trip to Nepal about 9 years ago.  It's the trek that the guides usually offer up as their favorite and with all the talk of the route being spoilt by a road we thought it would be best to try and enjoy it before it was too late.  The plan involved both of us joining a group for the three week trip, with me joining another group at the end to walk up Mera Peak.  Six weeks in Nepal should be a doddle after six months walking across Europe.

Annapurna Circuit