Exercise Himalayan Tiger was a military expedition to the Khumbu or Everest region of Nepal, with a view to climbing the trekking peaks of Gokyo Ri (5375m), across the Cho La pass (5400m) and on to Kala Pattar (5530m). All members of the expedition would carry their own packs which weighed between 15-20Kg across uncompromising terrain, battling against the altitude, illness and of course the weather. Accommodation would be in “tea houses”, where a basic 2 man room was provided with meals - this was a good move as the temperatures dropped the higher we went and the tea houses provided a bit more respite from the cold than tents would have. All the participants were from the Army Reserves with the majority serving with 103 Battalion Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers (REME) which has its Headquarters in Crawley.

After a difficult beginning to the expedition when the team was stuck in Kathmandu airport for nearly two days due to bad weather, the decision was made to pay the extra costs and to fly in by helicopter. This proved to be a good decision as no flights other than helicopters would leave Kathmandu for another 2 days. The team had lost two days walking which would mean that, if they still wanted to achieve the objectives set, the planned rest day would have to go and one of the shorter days would now become a long day.

The first few days of the expedition are about setting a sensible walking pace and giving every member of the team an opportunity to acclimatise properly, which is key especially when the goal is to walk at much higher altitudes. This is not easy to do when you are in a military group as the tendency is to put your head down and to get from point to point as quick as possible.

The expedition must also get used to sharing their path with porters carrying huge weights on their backs and yaks and donkeys carrying supplies up and down the mountain. Some interesting bridges have to be crossed in the first few days which are definitely a test for those with a fear of heights.

Acute Mountain sickness, bacterial infections, respiratory infections and of course the dreaded “Khumbu cough” were all caught by members of the expedition. This resulted in 4 members of the team not achieving the full objectives. For the remainder of the expedition they had the magical experience of watching the sunrise over Mount Everest from Gokyo Ri. This was no mean feat as they left Gokyo at 0330 Hrs to climb Gokyo Ri using head torches in bitterly cold conditions.

The Cho La pass was open but was extremely icy and in places dangerous. Crampons were not taken, so all were frequently falling on the ice, which also added to the fatigue of the group. Like Gokyo Ri, the Cho La pass was also conquered and, although the views were not as spectacular, the team felt that crossing the pass was their finest achievement of the expedition.

Kaka Pattar was also climbed early in the morning which again gave us the opportunity to see the sunrise over Mount Everest, a truly magical moment and an unforgettable memory. This was the highest point of the trek, higher than Everest Base Camp. The views across the glacier and beyond were breathtaking and something that will remain permanently lodged in our memory. The remainder of the trek was mostly downhill, which proved to be hard on the knees and joints. It took 10 days to ascend to the final trekking peak of Kala Pattar and only 3 days to descend back to the start point.

We suffered no further delays and flew back to Kathmandu on time to some welcome and well earned rest. Kathmandu was quiet due to the coming elections, but the team did have time to carry out some last minute shopping and to grab a beer and be able tell their “Everest stories”.

On behalf of all the expedition members I would like to thank the Ulysses Trust for their generous donation. All members came back from this expedition having had a life-changing experience which would not have been possible without your assistance.