Bluedome

But what is normality? I'm often asked, 'what do you normally do, Alan?' Well, normally I climb mountains. I certainly feel at home in the hills, and completely 'normal'! Yet I donât feel 'abnormal' when I'm in Britain, in the office, giving talks, writing, driving and doing what most people would consider normal day-to-day activities and tasks.

In fact, when I come back I actually feel very appreciative of this normality. I miss having good wine, food and beer and I feel very lucky that I can do what I want to do.

Between my mountaineering expeditions, I have plenty of mundane things to deal with. At the moment, much of my time is occupied with getting fit, which is quite important after my recent run-in with a chapati on Nanga Parbat. In case you hadn't heard , flour or dust on a chapati caused me to sneeze and I prolapsed a disc. I've since learned that apparently sneezing or coughing is a common way to slip a disc, although there is usually an underlying weakness. In my case, I had strained my back muscle after suffering from high altitude rot. This somewhat strange term means that when you've been too high, too long, your body is getting debilitated and can't recover properly. My body and particularly my muscles had started wasting away and when I lifted a heavy load I pulled a muscle. The sneeze was the final catalyst. The whole chapati thing caused so much media interest, but then I suppose it was rather bizarre.

I'm having regular physiotherapy at The Newcastle City Health NHS Trust 'Back in Action' Clinic. This specialist sports injury clinic is staffed by very experienced physiotherapists and open to anyone. It is dedicated to getting athletes back fighting fit. They are even prepared to treat and advise a mountaineer such as me, well I'm an athlete of sorts!

The physio is proving very effective; I can bend right over and have increasing movement with less pain. The prognosis is that I should make a full recovery, although it will be a few months before I am really fit and strong again. In the meantime, it's a matter of trying to fit the exercise in around all my other commitments. At first, I need to do gentle exercise, specifically for back strengthening, before pushing my body to more extremes again later on, when I resume my Challenge 8000. A mini series of three documentaries is planned for the New Year on these expeditions, probably entitled 'The Death Zone'. And that's exactly what it is up there above 8000m, I often call my live shows 'Into The Death Zone'. Most of you realise that above 6000m, it is impossible to be rescued by helicopter and a human being can only live for a few days at altitudes above 8000m. It really is seriously 'out there'. Technologically no-one can help. Physically too, there are no rescue teams and, anyway, it would be too dangerous to mount a protracted rescue. I do most of the filming on the expeditions for a 'piece to camera (PTC). I hold the mini digital video camera at arms length, or prop it on a rock or use a tripod. It does increase the weight I have to carry, but it is worth it to see the finished film.

In 1995, I filmed on the summit of K2, 'The Savage Mountain'. A first for a Briton and a most inhospitable place, dubbed the 'Third Pole', that is rarely filmed. In fact, I know of only one other. In 1996, I filmed on the top of Everest and Gasherbrum. This year, I filmed on the top of Lhotse which gave fantastic views down to the South Col, the South-East Ridge and the summit of Everest. There is plenty of footage to make the documentaries including my heli-rescue from Nanga Parbat. Channel 3 North East (Tyne Tees Television) is producing the films and more footage is being filmed now of my everyday life, physio treatment, training, etc, plus my thoughts and feelings now I'm back in Britain. I'm also planning my autumn tour, I give a lot of shows and talks around the country, some of which are for charity, the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Organising the content of them can take weeks of work. I have to sort through 1000s of slides and edit hours of video footage. I labour over a lightbox to sort the transparencies, Channel 3 North East help by editing the video. And I write a script or story which I use as a general basis for my shows. I like to try and keep my shows humorous as well as informative, although sometimes there are sad moments as well as exciting incidents and pictures. I'm on the road so much between shows that sometimes I feel as though I'm a pro-driver rather than a pro-mountaineer.

A lot of my regular work is with Berghaus and their marketing department. So you'll often find me at the Berghaus offices in Washington, Tyne and Wear, doing my 'desk-job'! Mind you, writing my articles is also my desk-job and one that I enjoy tremendously , I don't do it for the money (that's hardly surprising!). I don't find my office work boring. I enjoy meeting people and it's a refreshing contrast to being outside in the hills or in the Himalaya. There are many times, though, when I've

committed myself to some work and would rather be out on the hill, just like ordinary five-day-a-week workers. I know how that frustration feels, I've been there to some extent. In fact, I suppose I'm as trapped as the rest of you. When I'm on my tour, giving slide and video shows I can't shoot off to the hills. I have to turn up , even if I'm ill. Ironically, sometimes when I'm on a big Himalayan mountain, I yearn for the British hills and it's kind of like being trapped in an office. Usually, as I'm trekking out, I get the urge to be in Yorkshire, The Lakes, Scotland or North Wales. I daydream of a craggy scramble, a sun-kissed rock climb, a spectacular ridge walk or the distinctive, idiosyncratic, sights and sounds of the British hills. There is no way, of course, I can fulfil that desire for days or weeks when I am so far away. Even an office worker only has to wait four or five days at the most until the weekend or you can take a midweek break or a 'sickie'. Sometimes when I return from the Himalaya, I go straight out and refresh myself in the hills. It may be the Yorkshire Dales with their deep valleys, drystone walls, bleating sheep and limestone crags, the North Yorkshire Moors with sandstone outcrops, or a Lakeland ridge.

The British hills are my first love, but I also try and be a dad when I can. Fiona, my 13-year-old daughter is important to me. Recently, we went to Guernsey together for fun. I even do the mundane tasks of driving her to school sometimes. I enjoy that, although I wouldn't like to do a 'school run' everyday. Fiona usually gets the bus, which is more environmentally-friendly.

For the next few months, I will be concentrating on getting fit and training in as many ways as possible. As well as hillwalking and some rock climbing, I'll be using gyms, swimming, running and mountain biking. I even did the BUPA Great North Run, the classic north-east half marathon. This year, 36,000 entered, so it's hardly a wilderness experience, but great fun. I jogged it in two hours rather than run it for a best time. I bumped into several climbing and walking acquaintances too, so it would appear there are quite a few runners among us Trail readers.

Over the winter, I will be out in the hills with ice axe and crampons enjoying that special time when the hills become a more serious undertaking. I will also be skiing and really enjoying the white stuff , if it comes this year. By March, I hope to be fit and strong enough to set off for the Himalaya again. I still intend to climb all 14 8000m peaks and become the first Briton to do so, and only the sixth person ever.