Everest or bust... probably bust!

Up to now it has been all talk. We have talked about the trek, about clothing, altitude sickness and where you go for a poo. But that's all it has been. Until today.

As of 5 minutes ago we are booked to go!

As planned we have booked through www.adventurecompany.co.uk. The reasons were that it is a Tui company so financially stable (we hope) and David, the fella who has put up with our endless stupid questions has been a huge help.

For anyone looking to do the trek the costs were

Main trek cost: £1549 (inc flights both international and internal)
Nepal Visa: $40 (paid on arrival)

They also reminded us that our bucket and spade travel insurance probably won't cover us if we fall off Mt. Everest so they off a policy at £100 or a year round one for £115. But I'm going to check out my own policy first.

So there we are. We are booked. My god it all seems a far cry from sitting in a pub slightly pissed saying "I could do that". Now we are all going to have to!

Best start walking in the boots soon then huh.

Never had em, even as a teenager. Always had really good skin of the olive variety. UNTIL NOW!

All this training for walking up a big hill means that I get sweaty on a daily basis and that is leaving me with spots.

This could mean that I will have to buy a sweatband!! Do they still make them? And how much of a twat am I willing to look whilst training?

The team were together for the first time since deciding to do the Everest trek this weekend and although the main reason was to celebrate Marks (webselect) birthday it was also a chance to look at a few essentials at The Cotswold Store, Darts Farm just outside Exeter.

Tracey and Mark managed to buy boots, Tracey also bought a day pack and various other "bits". John was too hungover to be arsed to buy anything (hence the glass of water in the photo).

So what did we learn? Well having a knowledgeable member of staff was really important. Although the guy who fitted Tracey and I was only a puppy he knew his stuff and explained to us the importance of the correct fit. Boots varied in price a great deal and the "look" became unimportant as it became clear that all the boots fit differently, it's just a case of which one fits you best.

We ended up paying between £100 and £150 each and now have the "wearing in" stage to go through.

The daypacks varied hugely again. The ones we chose were Berghaus around the £60 mark but I think we can get them cheaper online. 

This weekend is the first time that the intrepid trekkers will be together since the decision was taken to go wandering up the "hill" and as luck would have it, it's at a fancy dress party at my place so keep an eye out next week for photos of the team looking (probably) a little worse for wear.

Was at the gym this morning punishing myself on the crosstrainer when I wiped my sweaty face, causing the earphones to come out of my ears. THis led to the strange realisation that I sound like I am having the best sex ever when I exercise - my grunts, groans and sighs would put Meg Ryan to shame!

Maybe I should tape myself and send it to someone in the porn industry to use for dubbing films?

Having been inspired by Rampie here I decided to up the ante - Huge mistake!! Instead of pottering along on the treadmill at slower than snailpace I walked the streets - no short skirt and high heels were injured while this took place! THere is a hill near me, not a steep hill, but a hill all the same and I thought I would walk to the top this morning. I got about a third of the way up and my breath shortened - it actually sounded like I was in the throes of great passion, come to think of it my red sweaty face looked as if I had been at it for hours too! I kept going, after all if little African kids can walk for hours just to get water I can manage one small hill!!
I got to just over halfway and really thought I could jog for a while. I set off at a brisk pace and needed to cross the road - you have never seen such an enormous kerb in your life - and I didn't SEE it! I did, go flying over it. I lay sprawled on tarmac as a speeding car headed my way - OK, I made that bit up, but car or no car it was scary to be face down in the dirt.
Got up, gave up and limped back to the house - via the shop where chocolate was the order of the day.

Awe inspiring isn't it. This photo was taken from the top of Everest looking down the route we will be coming up. The clouds seem to cut it off from the rest of the world and makes you realise just how far from home we will be. This is certainly going to be a trip to remember.

So, a year of planning.... a year of listening to Tracey moaning about doing some exercise.... listening to John bang on about the price of Buffs (he seems fixated about this particular item of kit since seeing the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQAKQ0y87d0 posted on here by la_spice).

And at the end of it we get to point at a big mountain and go "ooooh look, snow". Well my friends I don't think that is good enough.

I think that, when we reach our snowy peak we should do something to celebrate. Something unusual.

Now before you start suggesting a video of us playing cricket, doing the ironing at 18,000ft etc you have to realise that by this stage we will be knackered and suffering from altitude sickness. We will have beards (even Tracey), smell awful and have no chocolate left. So anything which involves much effort or carrying anything weighing more than a feather will be ignored.

We will have a camera to capture the event though ;-)

So... over to you. Ideas on a postcard please (or just leave a comment below).

I am training really hard for this stupid challenge brilliant adventure. An hour at the gym every day sees me red faced and stinking - not a look I am proud of. In the evening I go for a half hour walk with the blonde and I can actually be seen in TRAINERS!

My fucking calves are solid, and instead of looking toned and healthy, they look like footballers legs - hideous, big and hairy (ok the last one is down to laziness and not the gym, but still!) I wouldn't mind so much if I could see a difference but there is none.

In just over a month I have lost 3 pounds - pathetic isn't it? My shape is no different apart from the aforementioned calves and my clothes still don't fit! I thought by now I would look like a gym bunny, high, pert breasts, legs that went all the way up to an arse that was somewhere above my knees and slim toned arms (my bingo wings aren't going anywhere anytime soon).

I know that technically a daily family bag of peanut M&Ms are not a diet food, but surely combined with this amount of exercise I should still be losing weight?

OK here is a heads up, as we all know I am a bit of a girlie girl with a morbid fear of being seen without make-up on and this is the only shot of me without a drink in my hand that I could find;

This is John - an experienced hill climber!

And this is Mark - the Action Man to my Barbie (the chubby one of course)

Thought it was only fair that you can see the people that I have to keep up with!