The trail is getting steeper and rougher and the altitude much harder ...... Our lungs gasp for extra air and our foot steps get smaller

Meanwhile every sherpa carrying 185 pounds of gear is overtaking us like they are rushing for the morning train with a coffee in their hand ...... its effortless looking for these guys . Damn tough hombres !!!

Yaks carry climbing gear to Everest basecamp

Valentine is in the grips of altitude sickness . With every step his brain is swelling inside his skull. We are taking it very slow and making sure to hike beyond of sleeping heights . Which means if we are camping at 16000 feet we hike beyond to 16500ft and come back down so our brains are releived of the pressure . Everyone has to do this . This is why it takes weeks to get to Everest basecamp and about 2 months to summit the mountain. The sheer pressure of this invisable force can be devastating and life threatening ....... We are monitoring Valentines symptoms every few hours and taking tons of water breaks ...........

Villages have water and some supplies to buy. Carrying enough water is the hardest part and the heaviest ......

Rascals

Some days we would have to rest our bodies and brains from the altitude . Today we went to a Temple and watched a local festival. I was sat next to those monks blowing on the giant horns until i saw all the spit and saliva oozing out the end..... hahaha these horns are so epic too .... So loud

I sat next to these phenominal ladies all sharing and munching on squares of chocolate

I could have been at the "white devil go home" festival and not even known

Watched a monk quietly feeding some stray himalayan mountain dogs some biscuits. These guys are so gentle in everything they do and they way they move !!

This was the one ........ This was the moment where i thought i was fucked . This massive yak charged me and i actually fell backwards weighed down by my pack ...... Seconds after i took this photo. He didnt trample me but he was a few feet from me stamping the ground and snorting. I stopped taking photos of wild animals after this guy. Valentine was dying laughing

Paris France

Edinburgh Scotland

The land is getting more rugged and barren and desolate .... The weather more inhospitable. Seering sun scorching us but freezing winds blasting us at the same time ........ Any exposed skin takes a beating !!!

Awsome sherpa

Weather patterns changing every hour . Huge storms looming through the valley . We can hear avalaches in distant peaks ... We are entering a different world

Moral high. Equipment all working . We are slowly picking our way upwards above the clouds

The scenery reduced us to tears some days it was so beautiful

Keep on keepin on . The land was so unforgiving and rough . My pants and my leather gloves had rips and holes. Nothing lasts up here.

I possibly was the highest Scotsman on earth right here ...........