It's the post we've all been waiting for. Click the button to find out how my expedition to Everest actually went...

South Patagonia Ice Cap (Dec 2015)

Overview

So having thought about wanting to give Everest a go for a number of years and with my 30th birthday fast approaching, I came to the realisation that if I was going to do this and do it properly, I needed to get started.

I therefore decided to throw myself into a fairly serious guided expedition across the South Patagonian Ice Cap in Argentina run by Serac Expediciones - my rationale being that if I didn't like this, something like Everest was definitely not going to be for me.

So for just shy of 3 weeks, I would be spending my birthday, Christmas and New Year away from home, travelling alone and on an expedition in a hostile environment with people I didn't know. And thanks to Max (my tent mate), Rich, Milly and our guides (Renato and Luis), I had an amazing time.

Pictures

Pre-expedition glacier tour - I love the blue light coming through

So this is a really cheerful one - you have to go and get your passport stamped by the Chilean authorities before you head out and in their office they have this map showing all the recent accidents and fatalities on the ice cap...

Off we go! I'm smiling, but my bag is 25kg + and I have no idea what's in store for me...

First obstacle on the way to camp 1 - climb a waterfall - sure

View from camp 1

First night in camp 1 with Max - life was about to get a lot colder and more painful!

On the Ice Cap!

I can't remember if this is Magnum or Blue Steel. Either way I can only turn left.

One of our nights on the ice cap, building our protective walls

Settling in before the blizzard

When you realise you left your spoon in the previous camp but your tent mate makes you one Blue Peter style with a tooth brush handle, the metal ring from a compass and some tape. You're welcome Maxi!