Despite our best attempts we were unable to bring forward our flight out of Tumlingtar and therefore flew out as planned on 6 June. However, time was not wasted and our spare time was spent checking that all of our equipment had reached the village, thoroughly drying the tents and preparing the loads ready for onward flight to Kathmandu. With only small Dornier and Twin Otter aircraft operating in and out of Tumlingtar our equipment was to be flown separately to ourselves. This was all the more reason to ensure that it was secure and clearly labelled.

Returning to Kathmandu was something of a culture shock. The traffic, noise, smog and the heat were a far cry from the tranquillity and clear air of the Barun valley. However, the comforts of the Summit Hotel, including showers, cold beer and a swimming pool, were not lost on us.

The expedition itinerary had been deliberately planned to allow us 3 days in Kathmandu for post expedition admin and thankfully the predicted strikes did not take place. As leader of the expedition I was required to visit the Ministry of Tourism (Mountaineering Section) to hand in our expedition report. These reports, which are generated by the Ministry, require detail on the position of Base Camp, heights of higher camps, rubbish disposal programme and dates of the trek. This information is then filed on the Ministry's expedition folder together with reports from the expedition Liaison Officers. Completion of this process was vital to secure the refund of the mandatory $6000 rubbish deposit that we had paid at the beginning of the expedition. Those who have climbed in Nepal or who used to read the Mountain Info section of Mountain Magazine will be familiar with the name of Miss Liz Hawley. No major expedition can enter or leave Nepal without providing Miss Hawley with an array of detail about their intended expedition and subsequently a detailed résumé of their actual achievements. Through her work she maintains a comprehensive database of who was where, when and with whom for all the major peaks and consequently is an excellent source of information. A courtesy call on the Assistant Defence Attaché in order to thank him for his support completed my round.

The other team members were not idle and, assisted by our Sherpas, carried out a 100% check of all the team equipment. Fine weather enabled all of the tents and much of the equipment to be washed and dried before being repacked in the barrels and every item was manifested. This was a very important task as our freight was not scheduled to leave Kathmandu until we had returned to UK and incomplete paperwork may have resulted in customs delays. The remainder of our time was spent sightseeing or, as was the case for many, shopping for carpets and souvenirs.

All members of the team returned to UK on 10 June.

A comprehensive expedition report will be available on this site in due course.