High Time

Travelling and tekking in with a teenage family in Nepal - Ed and Louise Hillary, the parents of Peter (17), Sarah (15) and Belinda (13)."The aim of our journey was to visit and work on various Hillary Aid projects in the Everest region of the Himalayas. Due to Pakistan/India war of December 1971 there were delays, complications and adventures before we finally reached Nepal, two weeks late in starting on our busy programme.We walked and floated on air mattresses down sixty miles of the swift Sun Kosi river, east of Kathmandu, and then travelled north-east across high ridges that Ed and our Sherpas had never visited before - and discovered many Sherpa villages we didn't know existed. From high frost covered foothills we had brilliant and breathtaking views of the winter Himalayas. We became deeply involved in the glorious chaos of aid to the Sherpas as we travelled from village to village and were offered hospitality so generous and continuous that it was ruinous to our health but utterly delightful.We talked to village councils, were petitioned for new bridges and water pipelines, worked for two days carrying rocks for the foundations of a new school, and learned the uncomfortable art of carrying bamboo baskets on our backs, secured by a headband across the forehead.Our visit ended with the celebration of New Year with our Sherpa friends in Kunde village (12,700ft), coinciding with the winter snows. The local beer and spirits flowed like water and we hardly noticed the cold. We certainly had a high old time."