At the moment Im on my way back to Delhi on a sleeper train which is a truely unique experience! Technically its my last night in India, and this is an odd way to spend it! Visiting the Taj Mahal tomorrow then its onto the airport.

I have arrived at the palace. We've covered nearly 300 miles and I'm still alive! Woo! Time for a beer I think, im knackered!

In total all the trekers have raised £45,000 for action aid which is amazing.

Thankyou everyone whos sponsered me!

Back at camp now. Today we walked 21 miles and gone 30 more in teh back of a truck. Had snow today and a cold night last night. Time for dinner and yet another curry.

Only another 32 miles tomorrow!

Im sat on top of a snow covered mountain having lunch at 42,00 meters at the moment. After a 6am start, we have already trekked 17 miles so far today only another 12 miles to go!

Its been quite a journey in wind, rain, snow, hail and 30 degree sun. But we did go via monasteries and Tibetan villages so the scenery is inspiring! Staying in a house tonight and getting ready for another curry dinner!

After an interestingly long night on a sleeper train, that turned up late and travelling in the Cattle Premier Class - which involves sharing a carriage with 6 people in 3 sets of bunk beds - and only two members of my party were in the same carriage as myself, it proved to be an interesting night. I had the top bunk which was a plank of wood wrapped in blue plastic with some sheets that may have been clean when the train was made, id estimate 1950s... andits was noisy too and Id drunk a bit too much beer at dinnertime with my curry that it became a little bit of a problem. If you need a loo on an indian train, a piece of advice, dont go! Its a hole in the floor which goes directly onto the tracks below. no support on offer and no no easy means not to fall down after your err doings...

About 5am we started drawing up into the mountains and with sunrise I got off my bunk, trying not to wake the entire carrige, did i mention there is no privacy either, and went and stat on the door steps looking out over the mountains.

We arrived in a place called Chitty Bang which wins the award for second most amusing place name after Hotel Good Times in Delhi. Left the train and boarded a Jeep Bus (ie a normal bus fitted with tractor wheels) for the journey to Daramasahala, which is a road to make people cry on - it has no edges, no fences and with a driver with what appeared to be suicidal tendences i was glad when the 4 hour journey was over.

No in ther land of the Dali Lama, we had lunch in a Vegetarian Tibetan Restaurant with the Dali Lama looknig down on us, then off we went to the temple for our Audience with the Dali Lama, which lasted 2hrs30. And was really good, even if I didn't understand most of it as it was mainly in Tibetan, the tea was good though... Then we explored his palace and its gardens.

I'm now sat in an Internet Cafe on some dodgy street in Tibetan administered India on the Kashmeer borders about to head off for dinner, another Vegetarian curry nodoubt...

Ten tomrrow the trekking begins off on the journey to a village called Bir, about 70 miles away... Fun...

No casulties yet BTW.

I���ve just finished the day on the ActionAid street children rescue project.

We went to a centre for 400 women and children. Amazingly I had the chance to play games with them and even covered them in paint for the Holi festival. It���s truely amazing how happy they were given where they live and the life they have come from. Although there are over 100,000 street children in Delhi it���s just a scratch on surface this centre - At least I���ve seen where the money goes.

Now we are off to get the sleeper train, to continue our journey.

We have landed in Delhi! It's 28 Degrees at midnight and we landed in a monsoon and almost didn't make it! Off to the hotel now for sleep.

Goodnight England!

Well after getting poor Sam up at 4am, we got him to Heathrow safe and sound in plenty of time for the off. The website has a picture of our intrepid explorer doing his best not to look like he's had no sleep and he's looking forward to his walk! As we post this message Sam is on his way to Delhi, due to arrive 19:00 GMT Monday (00:00 local time).

In a little over 24 hours I shall be boarding the plane for Delhi and the adventure beginning... I'm getting just a little bit nervous about it all. Its quite an adventure all told... And an awful lot of walking. Hopefully, I will see you all when I get back.

On the fund raising front, my total is now upto £3700, which is great, big thank yous to everyone who has sponsored me to date. Collectively with my other 21 fellow trekkers, we have raised £40,000 which is enough to fund a school or orphanage for poor children for a year covering the building costs, teachers, materials and ensuring that a group of children get to have a bit of a helping hand and taken off the streets. I just now need to have a little bit of hardship for two weeks, which is nothing compared to what those living in poverty go through every day.

I would also like to make a quick special thank you to the 3rd Drotwich Brownie Pack who raised over £160 through a charity Valentines Ball towards my total - so thank you very much.

Right, well I'm all packed so I guess its time to head for them there hills, err, mountains...!

Well, it is now only 1 week to go until I'm on my way to India and Delhi and the adventure beginning.

I now have my ActionAid red t-shirt to wear on the trip, and most things packed and sorted. Beginning to get a bit aprehensive about the task ahead, but hopefully all will be fine. Its one heck of an adventure though.

Probably should start packing soon, although with just a 15kg weight limit and instruction to only pack what is absolutely essential, that doesnt exactly leave much.

Well its just two weeks now until I go, infact Id actually be there by now.
In Delhi, doing something, probably sleeping as they are 10 hours ahead.

Anyway, time for an update.

Last weekend - the 18th February, met with some of my fellow trekkers down at ActionAid HQ in London, was an interesting experience, was briefed as to what we have instore and head of us, lots of walking mainly it seems. And sleeping in tents. My fellow trekkers seem fun though, and I expect come the end of it we will all be good friends.

This weekend just been - the 25th February, I went with my Dad up and down Snowdon as a practice run. Was challenging, but survivable. Main problems were due to a lot of snow and ice at the top and not having spikes to cut in on the walk upwards, so it was one step forwards, 12 steps backwards. Total trip time was about 7 hours of solid walking which is a good practice run.
No ill effects afterwards either. Hopefully I can post some photos from this online to give the gallery page a bit of content.

After a bit of work and trying to find a way to make this diary (sorry, modern term for them is blog isn't it...) all high-tech and fancy, and basically updatable from the top of a Himalayan mountain using two tin cans and a piece of string, it has been blogger.com'd...

This is my first entry to test it all works correctly, while I am woffling - let me tell you some of the features of the blogging system.
1. You can add comments to my posts
2. I can post pictures
3. In theory I can update it from my mobile phone!!