Kathmandu = KathmanDONE!

So Namche faded into the distance as the descent sped by and the high mountains rolled into valley floors lined with woodland and mighty rivers. What had seemed to take an eternity and nearly kill half of us on the way was a mear walk in the park now. The thicker air, oxygen rich in comparison to the heights further up made everyone feel strong and happy in the basking sun.

We made our way via Tok Tok and a tea stop at Karma's tea house, Karma has been one of the guides on the way and it was only fitting to share a cup of tea in his home on the way down. That night we stayed at Phakding again where the night passed by with the team singing songs and enjoying traditional dancing with the guides and the lady of the house. An early start for the last leg into Lukla....

The trek into Lukla was far more arduous than anyone would have imagined. A culmination of exhaustion after the long haul we've had and a small portion of the team suffering horribly from a stomach bug made what should have been a simple finish into a bit of a battle. We all made it though, and the sense of achievement when everyone rounded the corner into our last Tea House was absolutely epic.

After a long wait in the tiny airport at Lukla, we're all sitting here safe and well in the luxurious (after Tea houses) Harati Hotel. Everybody is overjoyed to have the small pleasures in life back; being able to go to the loo without putting your wellies on, being able to climb the stairs without blowing out of your arse....these little things are always a bonus!

The look on Jenny's face during the flight from Lukla? Worth every minute we sat in the dingy little airport waiting. The views out made us all sad to be leaving behind the beautiful place we had been privileged enough to experience, but the views inside the plane of Becca window-licking and Kelly gripping on to the seat for dear life cheered us all up.

Once back in the hotel the birthday plans began for Andy! The Sherpas planned a cake which I'm sure Andy will manage to devour without too much help from us. After wandering around the city it began to sink in that we had made it, we could really start to celebrate our achievement. The sights and sounds (and smells!) around us were overwhelming and everyone tried to take in as much as they could.

For the evening, the team went out for a meal in Kathmandu, settling at a swanky Italian for Gilly's birthday meal. After which, the team turned to a Kathmandu pub crawl- another amazing experience to say the least, especially for Bunny! In Tom and Jerry's bar, we all tried cocktails with names such as 'Everest Sunset', and to Si and Ollie's delight, live Premier League footy was on the telly. We then went on to meet up with Matt, Kenny, Anne and Stef at Rum Doodle, the climber's bar in Kathmandu, where we were graced by the presence of Chris Brown, a member of the Everest summitteer club. We left our mark here by leaving our own personalised foot, signed by the whole team, which will don the bar for years to come, along with thousands of other famous expeditions from years gone by. Then the fun started....

After an evening of festivities, no-one fancied the walk home, so the Kathmandu Wacky Races Grand Prix began. The aim was simple: 16 people, 8 rickshaws, 1 goal- our hotel. The loser got the drinks in. Racing through the quiet night streets of Kathmandu was a fitting finale to our penultimate day in Nepal.

For our final day, we are just about to visit a Leprosy hospital just outside the city centre, with a view to supporting them when we get back to the UK. Then it will be time to hit the shops in Thamel, picking up last minute souvenirs at the best possible price.