Last Update from Nepal

I am leaving Nepal today @5.15pm.

I would like to thank all the members of the trek Group (16 in total) that accompanied me on The Ultimate Everest Trek. A very hard trek. To Geraldine Westrupp our lovely leader - a massive thank you for all your support to the Group and to all of us also as individuals. I am at The Hotel de L'Annapurna, Durbarmarg (No 1 address in Katmandu) as I post this final note.

I am leaving Nepal with so many lovely memories and a massive sense of achievement:
* The lovely high mountain scenery that surrounded us each day. We were so lucky with the good clear weather. We did have 3 very cold nights with falls of snow where temps did fall to -20%C

*Laughs and discussions over the 16day trek - concerns of one member as to where his sunglasses were? They were where they should have been!! A Yak left the track to join Dave as he was applying sun cream - we put it down to the 'Lynx effect'.

*Is Kenny about?

*Getting to the top of Kala Pattar @ 5545m and seeing Mt. Everest so clearly some six miles away. I did hang a flag of Scotland in memory of my late mother. Helen it was so sweet of you to take a picture and I did not notice you doing this.

*The great support of Kumaar and his sherpas, cook and kitchen staff and the great porters and their yaks who carried all the tents, kit bags and other equipment.

*All the lovely Napelese people I had the pleasure of meeting.

*To Charlotte, thanks for the great day in Bhaktapur. What a magic experience depite two dangerous taxi rides chased by a 'mad bus'!!

*A massive thank you to all the people who have supported me in my charity fund raising.

* To Jayne, thanks for all your support.

Best wishes. Fraser. 7-4-08.

Update from Fraser, Friday 04.04.08

Here I am back in Kathmandu arriving at 9.30am on Thursday 3rd April and staying at The Shanker Hotel which is a very nice and an oasis in the busy and noisy City. It is a beautiful hot day. The first thing I did was have a shower which was great.

I hope to read my book with a Gin & Tonic by the pool.

The trek was much harder than I did expect but I made it all the way round and did enjoy it. I also stayed away from beer/spirits for the whole duration of the trek - a great feat.

Best wishes. Fraser.

At last, an update from Fraser ...

I am still alive and making my way back. I am currently in Namche Bazaar from where I sent my last and only msg. I have done the whole trek and got to Everest Base Camp at 12 noon on Sat 29th March and on Sunday 30th March I climbed Kala Pattar and got to the top at 11am - my goal achieved. It was a lovely sunny and clear day and the views were outstanding. A massive panorama of massive mountains, the tallest of which was Mt. Everest.

The trek was much harder than envisaged with long hard daily walks the longest being 10 hrs. Temperatures went down to as low as -20%c and falls of snow on a number of nights. The sun comes out at around 7.30am and the day soon gets hot even at the high altitudes we are walking in.

The trek ends on Wednesday 2nd April.