It was 5.45am and the campsite awakened to Nepali shouts of "Bed Tea.....Tato Panni (hot water)". The tents faced east across the valley, where an orange disc slowly rose above the ridgeline. THe heat of the sun dispersed the early morning mist obsinayely clung to the tree clad slopes. After last night's thunderstorm, the dust has settled and the air feels fresh and clean.

After breakfast we set off down the trail for several hours dropping some 3000 feet through hundreds and hundreds of terraced fields. Many cultivated with maze, but of poor quality. We passed bamboos stretching up 100 feet and banana plantations. The fields gave an emerald green colour to the magnificent landscape that surrounded us. By 10 am we arrived at a stop under a suspension bridge which crossed a ravine. We scrambled down to a rushing stream and stripped off for a much needed bathe.The pools were deep enough to submerge in, so we plunged in, dispersing several days of sweat and grime. This might be our last full scale bath for some days - and next time we may be squatting over a washbowl, using a mug as a bailer. Although the stream was clear and not glacier melt, it was breathtakingly cold so no-one stayed in more than a few minutes. Back on the bank, it was warm and sunny so we dried off in a few minutes, ready for lunch, which was being prepared on the terrace above.

After lunch we climbed up some 3000 ft to a little hamlet of 12 huts perched precariously on a col. The climb was strenuous in the afternoon heat. The porters carrying heavy and ungainly loads in baskets suspended on bands from their heads seemed to cope admirably with the stepp ground. Us european mortals huffed and puffed up behind these agile mountain people.

For the kids. Today is Mark Lewis' day as at breakfast a large spider approached him under the table and he leapt up and ran off. He hates these large crawling things so we have called him spider. Mark's sister is a nursery nurse working in Cardiff. This is Mark's third trip to the Himalayas and he very much looking forward to attempting Ramtang (Junior Team) and definitely wants to get to the top.