Final Analysis

Apologies for my Blog silence to my reader.

It's been a few weeks since the wheels touched down at Gatwick; and then 2 hours later at Heathrow and since a line was drawn under The Everest Test 2009; or has it? As far as the Nepal bit goes - Mission Accomplished but in some respects and for many people on the trip this is the beginning of some brilliant things.

I am not going to regurgitate the trip, step by step or potato by potato, as there is too much to write for now, but I can honestly say that I have come out of it firstly alive but secondly a more rounded, fat, ginger-haired person. The event didn't just last 3 weeks; it lasted 1 year - a little over in fact. The first meeting conveniently held in Fulham, the start of my fitness runs, the stopping every 10 yards to wretch and the promise to cut back on everything bad. The freezing fog, the skintight spandex Ron Hill jogging strides clutching my nads like Monty Panesar clutches an Ashes-winning skier. The 5km "fun-runs" and being beaten by a 4ft high old lady with home made running mittens and my desire to push her under a bus. The upset at the not losing weight. The Fantasy Farm Fcuked Up Challenge at Kimbo's house, the porridge and the inflatable mattresses in the village hall, experiencing the Joe Williams Symphony for the first time. The silent, breathless cricket in Oxford, the ball copt in the knackers by Dave Christie in Oxford, the worst film footage ever recorded in Oxford, the uphill shuttle running in Oxford. The Bath Half, nipple chaffage, Hillsy running like a bandy, arse-buggered trawlerman. The goodbye's to my little girls in the morning and the realisation that I had bought completely the wrong rucksack in the afternoon of departure day. The departure and the realisation finally that I was flying to Nepal to trek to Mt Everest and break a world record whilst actually landing in Nepal. So many great and brilliant memories.

The trek was tough; I mean seriously tough. Not, like, doing a run and thinking that was tough or like stubbing a toe and thinking that hurt. This was bull-buggeringly, serious risk of major illness, debilitatingly tough. Experienced medical experts telling us that we are doing a very dangerous thing, tough. But worth it.

The Everest region belittles you. You think you've seen landscapes or been up big mountains skiing or whatever. It's indescribable how big this land is and it is hardly surprising that the the local people have such reverence for the mountains alone. It's a place that makes you feel very, very small and it's not only because it is very, very big. There's more to it than that. This coming from me too; Mr. Idontbelieveinthsistuff. They say that there are 3 natural phenomenons in the wold that don't disappoint. Mark Waters' natural ability to gain weight, The Grand Canyon and the Khumbu region of Nepal. Having not been to the Grand Canyon, I can definitely vouch for the other two.

The task itself of actually playing the cricket (joint top scorer for Tenzing by the way) actually came second, slightly for me anyway, and the bigger picture of what was happening here needed to be also have a look in. The achievement of playing the cricket medically and physically at such an extreme altitude was a hard challenge but hugely enjoyable but it was achieved and achieved safely. Personally however, I had also managed to participate in this incredible journey with 50 or so extraordinary people with the same values, outlook and personal missions as I have. Great friendships I hope were forged and an example was set for anyone wishing to get something quite extraordinary achieved. I am glad the world, or at least some of it, watched. We should feel very proud of what went on in April but also what every one of us achieved in the lead up to Nepal. The lions share of the buff-rub obvioulsy needs to go to Kirt, Wes, Cuzza and everyone else who gave so much to get it off the ground but we all did what we had to do to make it happen. I'm seriously proud of being part of this and my personal objectives were pretty much all achieved. Yeah, we didn't bukakke Team Hillary on the cricket pitch like we had planned but in every other direction, for me, the trip itself was the out-and-out winner.

I can feel a Lionel Ritchie song coming on..........

Anyway, I'm not sure what I'm am trying to say but those that haven't heard - Team Hillary screwed Team Tenzing with their pink trousers still on. Team Hillary 151 all out - D.Kirtley 50 odd, Glen Lowis 20 odd, Staveley, Campbell, Kiwi all stirred with bat. Team Tenzing bowled out for 116. Weather conditions were a little "iffy" to say the least and the game probably should have been re-scheduled ad Team Tenzing had conditioned their training for higher, harsher altitude's, to be honest. We just couldn't be bothered to win, either. All that publicity.........

Anyway, back to reality. It is weird and from what I am reading in some other Blogs I think everyone has got the same feelings about being back. Nothings changed, but I suppose that is always how it was going to be. The memories and the endless photos and emails will keep reminding us about Everest for many years to come as I hope will the friendships now made and the beer that will invariably be drunk. Some from the group will go back and do it again. Others, like me I suspect, probably won't.....do the Everest trek again, anyway. But it will go down in everyone's life as a major personal goal and a monumental achievement. I am very proud to be a part of it.

Cricket is back to normal for - 7 for 19 at the weekend -y'know, the usual standards.

Lowis - you couldn't hit those tracer bullets if the ball had a bell in it.

Altitude, damn you....................