In April we heard how Joe Griffiths from Llanuwchllyn planned to spend Easter trekking up a 5,000m mountain in the Himalays to support victims of the war in Ukraine and people with HIV in Nepal. Now the kind-hearted 19-year-old has returned he told his tale to Julie McNicholls Vale

“For two weeks I was in the Himalayas climbing nearly 5000m to raise money for Ukrainian refugees and AIDSlink in Nepal. They play an important part in improving the lives of those with the disease and reducing stigma and misinformation in the community.

“To cut a long story short, I made it to the top and back again and am blown away by the support I received in doing it, thank you all very much.

“For two weeks in April over Easter I was being positively inundated with new experiences left, right and centre, from curry flavoured food, stunning views and a different way of living, to tired feet, a big cat and snickers!

“Here are some of my favourite parts...

“Travelling there played out as smooth as spreadable butter. With dad’s backpack on my back, his other backpack on my front, each full of dad’s gear, my journey included a train, an overnight coach on a ferry to Paris and then night flights. I had a great day in Paris, looking around, feeling nostalgic and writing a postcard or two!

“In Nepal I was picked up from the airport and brought safely to our accommodation. One of my first new friends was my bed. The following day we learnt about the projects we were supporting. AIDSlink employ locals to support those with HIV. As it was Easter for us, our team brought a lot of UK chocolate over to give to some of those with HIV. One pair (a father and son) managed to stuff 35 chocolate oranges in their bags!

“My team during this time was a group of 13 from all over the UK, of all ages and all walks of life. A long bus ride later we found ourselves in Syapru Besi, at the mouth of the Langtang valley. This is where we would begin and end our trek.

“The days were organised nicely and I used a different method to tell the time to a clock: Tea houses! After an early start and appreciated breakfast of porridge or bread we would head onwards. After a few hours of walking we would stop at a guest house for a rest and some tea. The tea, or chai, in Nepal was so good! They did usually use a lot of sugar, which maybe helped the taste, as well as using metal cups which to me where fun and cool. The next tea house stop would be for lunch! We would usually have massive plates of Daal Bat, a wonderful local dish eaten twice a day by nearly everyone, it consists of rice, boiled lentils and a few curried and boiled vegetables. I loved it and what was even better as soon as you received your plate they would come round with more!

“Each guest house had its own name. I enjoyed the descriptive naming of them, including The Friendly Guest House, the Resting Place and the Lovely Guest House. I found the guest houses incredibly good places to stay. The bathrooms were different to what we are used to in the west and using squat toilets was a new challenge for many. I never appreciated toilet paper enough before coming here. And we were not alone. There were spiders and a mouse to keep us company and our leader found a tick in his trousers. It was mysterious to watch donkeys and ox trudging down the path unaccompanied at twilight, and one of us swears they saw a big cat while brushing our teeth outside. It was all quite exciting!”

Each day the group would climb higher and higher and Joe recalls that his first sighting of a “stereotypical Himalayan mountain popping through the trees took our breath away even more than the lack of oxygen”.

Day two saw them above the tree line. The landscape became more barren and the Himalayan mountains were bigger and closer.

“One chilling moment on day three was walking up to the Langtang village,” said Joe.

“Here in 2015 a third of the population of only 300 and a large section of the village had been submerged in a unquenchable landslide of ice and stone. Walking across this enormous grey mass was not pleasant. It was silent and almost lifeless. I was glad to reach the end.”

Day four, filled up with porridge, they headed for the summit. Joe said: “It was heavy going, the air was thinner and many people had headaches or were very short of breath, but we all made it! The sun was shining when we ascended. The view of the Himalayas was phenomenal, the peaks so white and spiky. On the descent in began snowing, which created such magical surroundings. Tired but happy we all slept well that night.”

The following two days were spent descending. “We travelled much faster down and did not have quite as many tea breaks. I had fun taking photos with my camera though my batteries were reaching their end, so I walked with one under my armpit in a desperate attempt to charge it, like Bear Grylls once advised.

“Soon, too soon, I was back on a plane, though I was excited to come home and see my family and friends. I spent a few days in Paris, then I caught a bus and train back home where dad was waiting for me at the train station.”

Joe has raised £1,398 including gift aid, and had an unforgettable experience along the way...