A Day on the Trail
The day begins at dawn, with your favorite hot drink delivered to your tent by a smiling kitchen boy. A bowl of hot washing water arrives a few minutes later. When you have washed, dressed and packed your duffel bag, you can head off to your waiting breakfast, leaving the Sherpas to organize your tent and bags. Breakfasts are always big – a typical example is hot porridge and cereal or pancakes. Eggs, toast, marmalade, honey, tea, coffee of hot chocolate. After breakfast we usually walk at a leisurely pace for three or four hours. During this time the cook team moves ahead to prepare a welcoming lunch. This might consist of salad, chips, salami and bead, followed by fresh fruit and lemon tea.
After lunch further two or three hours of walking brings us to our camp for the night. You are welcomed with tea and biscuits, and have the opportunity to relax and explore the area before the evening meal. This might be either Western - an example could be French onion soup, macaroni cheese, steamed vegetables, fried chicken, potatoes and white sauce, followed by chocolate cake or Nepalese style. The latter might include lentil soup, followed by rice, Dal, pappadams, Chapattis, Puris and an assortment of curries and condiments, with banana fritters to finish. We use plenty of fresh vegetables, cheeses, lentils, beans and nuts, so vegetarians are easily catered for. After dinner, conversation often lingers over varying topics, accompanied by combinations of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, rum and Raksi, until your sleeping bag beckons and you arise to another day in the Himalayas.