I survived the week-long trek through the Himalayas that I told you about earlier in the year! We met at Heathrow on the afternoon of Saturday 26th September, almost 30 women embarking on the unknown. We'd been told what equipment to bring but we didn't really know what awaited us in Nepal. We arrived back on Sunday 4th October, late in the evening, exhausted and with many a tale to tell. Between those two dates, I experienced:
5 days of trekking 11 hours per day
100+ kilometres (by foot)
120,000 steps
4000+ metres altitude
11+ hour bus journey
1am (!) wake-up calls
temperatures in the mid 30s
temperatures nearing 0
3 leech bites (urgh!)
1 bad fall (into a muddy river in torrential rain)
2 showers
It was a very tough challenge and there were moments when it seemed an almost insurmountable task. The lack of sleep and extreme temperatures coupled with a lack of our creature comforts and long, tiring days challenged us all. But now that my blisters and bruises have almost healed, it is with great fondness that I look back on my time in Nepal. Someone said that Nepalese people are the happiest in the world - and this is something I can believe. The smiling kindness with which we were greeted across the region in which we trekked was a joy to see and it was the people that really made the trek for me.
One boy in particular sticks in my mind. When I'd run out of fruit pastilles to hand out to the children we met along the way, I decided to give out pieces of paper and pens that I had in my bag. When I did this, I wrote English words on the page. The nine-year old Nepalese boy standing by my side waiting patiently for me to finish captured all our hearts when he proudly showed us what he knew. In the rural hills of Nepal where simple things (for us) like electricity and running water are difficult to come by, this young boy had mastered the Roman alphabet and was so eager to show us that he could copy all the words I'd written down.
And here is his handiwork:
It really was a magical moment as I realised that this young boy, who symbolises self-belief, determination and hope, is a shining example of the talent that GlobalCampus allows universities around the world to find.
As a group we raised more than £100,000 for the Prince's Trust but there is still time to donate. Please visit my fundraising page for more information on the Trust and what they do for young people in the UK - http://www.justgiving.com/lizziefraser.
Lizzie
