We’ve arrived in Kathmandu to find a late monsoon, sweltering temperatures and humidity like standing under a shower. Still, nothing a couple of dozen Everest beers won’t fix I’m sure.

Off tomorrow for the drive to Kodari on the Nepal/Tibet border and with luck the following morning, straight up onto the Tibetan plateau to the town of Nyalam, where we’ll spend several days climbing nearby hills to push our acclimatisation.

Altitude headaches are much like being drunk and hung over at the same time, so I’d best head off now to drink those couple of dozen beers – altitude training!