Khote (11,415 feet), 10th October

Today we climbed again, back up to almost 14000 feet, to get to Tagnak, which has two or three lodges.

I started off this morning full of gusto, when we had a couple of hours of unpleasant walking on big boulders in the gouged-out streambed, then simply ran out of steam later in the day.

A rock gompa, containing some marvellous Buddhas

It was supposed to be a lunchtime arrival but it was mid-afternoon when I got there - and then I was so tired I went straight into my sleeping bag.

The paracetemol hasn't done me any good. Andy has given me some Actifed to try today and tomorrow, in conjunction with some Diamox (to help acclimatisation).

It was somehow appropriate that we got a glimpse of Mera Peak for the first time. It looked rather imposing, as one might expect.

The Buddhas Inside

Tagnak (13,580 feet), 11th October

Exactly as yesterday, I started full of beans then ran out of steam after about three or so hours.

I enjoyed the morning. It was sunny in parts, some beautiful Blue Gentian flowers could be found right next to the trail and we actually saw some high snowpeaks, including - rarity of rarities - Mera Peak in sunshine.

Is that really Mera? My God it looks so huge

Then this little delightful little dog decided to tag along with Colin and me. It was having some difficulty breathing and/or keeping cool, I think, because every time we stopped for a rest or to take a photo, the dog rushed to stand in Colin's (considerable) shadow.

It lasted with us as far as the remains of the glacial lake (the one whose overflowing did all the damage in 1997) before turning back. It was like a little energy talisman for me, because once the dog deserted us, my energy deserted me. Within a short time I had absolutely no energy left.

A Sherpa took my pack but it made no difference. The last hour or so was absolute agony for me, especially the final steep bit up to our campsite at Khare.

Thankfully it had been planned as a short day, the idea being that we would start our acclimatisation and training procedures by climbing the nearby ridge in the afternoon. It was about 1 15 pm when I got in.

After the most rudimentary attempt at eating lunch, I went straight to bed and did not emerge until teatime.

The huge white bulk of Mera emerges

The remains of the glacial lake at the top of the valley

Andy is looking none too well himself . He has been on tenterhooks for the last few days, as have the trek leaders of the other expeditions. As they said, it's not that their clients blame them directly for the bad weather, the blame starts to come through indirectly: why are the tents still wet/all my clothes are soaking/why haven't we got something nicer for dinner/why have we run out of Strepsils etc.

Hearing what the clients in the next Himalayan Kingdoms expedition having been saying, I think we have been a model of good-naturedness!

I have no faith in that Actifed stuff, I am no going to go on the Amoxyllin that I bought in Kathmandu. I need some progress quickly, I don't want to go through another day like today.