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"When we started off from Jagatsukh, the sun was shining and the portents for a successful trekking expedition seemed to be with us. Our first camping site was at a place called Khanoi. We were camped in a densely wooded area but in order to get there we had to walk through a village/town that was truly something to behold and was really quite heartbreaking. The 'town' had, I suspect, arisen from workers settling there whilst working on projects in the mountains. Their homes were rarely little more than tarpaulin stretched over a basic wooden or stone structure. Their water supply for washing and drinking water came from the river that was nearby.I saw no evidence of electricity although I presume there must have been some somewhere.I found it genuinely hard to comprehend how people could live here under such conditions and couldn't help but feel acutely embarrassed walking through the town knowing the privileged life that I lived at home. I would be very surprised if the boys did not feel the same way.

"As we set up our camp we noticed our cooks and porters digging trenches around their tents. Did they know something that we did not? We opted to play safe and followed their example and within a couple of hours we began to understand the rationale behind these actions. A torrent of rain came down upon us and it was soon apparent that the trenches we had dug around our tents were insufficient. One of the team's tents had to quickly be moved before it was swamped with rain water whilst the rest of us frantically extended our ditches and drainage lanes. The rain barely eased up over the night and by the morning many of us were feeling rather damp. Although the tents were as good as they come, still many of us had found that the amount of rain that had enveloped us had seeped in. Despite all this the team's spirits were high and after packing up our tents (whilst it was still raining) we headed off to our next campsite up at 3100 metres.

"The weather cleared up and we had an enjoyable day trekking through the valley to our next campsite. For much of the day's trekking we made our way through dense forest until we came out upon a much clearer area. It was not much longer before we got to our camp and since the weather remained fine we were able to dry out our tents and kit. Unfortunately this was the last time such an opportunity would present itself.

"The weather closed in again during the night but this camping site was much flatter and we remained dry in our tents. Nevertheless we found that the rain was soon upon us again shortly after commencing our trek and it was unrelenting. We continued our way up the mountain, successfully traversing the obstacles that came upon us (mostly gushing streams). As the morning wore on the route becoming increasingly heavy going as the trail became swamped with mud and the persistent rain. Although we had started the morning in high spirits it was clear that some of the boys were struggling and we decided that the best option was in fact to make our way back to our previous camp rather than take any unnecessary risks by continuing upwards. We had reached a height of nearly 3500 metres.

"When we got back to our campsite we set up our tents once again, getting ourselves into some dry clothing and giving ourselves an opportunity to recover from the exertions of the day. Whilst we hunkered down in our tents the rain continued to fall .... and fall.

"The rain was relentless and the following day it was decided that the only option was to have a rest day since there seemed to be littleevidence that the conditions were going to improve. Indeed I think we saw barely 10 minutes of sunshine all day and there were times whenI was in my tent, trying to write my journal, that I could barely see well enough to continue with my writing. The rain just fell and fell.

"It had got to the point that, with our kit now being damp and there being little evidence of any future improvement in the weather, the group decided that it was time to bring the trek to an end and make our way back to Jagatsukh and then to Manali.

"I was immensely proud of the boys throughout this time. As one of them said when we were deciding whether to continue or turn back, we had endured physical challenges but most importantly we had had our mental endurance and strength challenged and we had passed the test with flying colours. Indeed they had -they had shown great fortitude and resilience and maintained a great 'joie de vivre' throughout. Most impressive.

"We are now about to go onto the final phase of our expedition - the very well deserved R & R phase! This will see us move on from Manali to Shimla where we will connect with the Toy train (I believe this is one of THE train journeys of the world) and a sleeper train to Delhi. From there we plan to make our way to Agra to see the red Fort and, of course, the Taj Mahal. Then it is back to Delhi to get our flight back to Heathrow.

"The Aldenham boys have done both themselves and the school proud and I am sure they will all look forward to regaling everyone with their stories and adventures when they get back home."

"Our time in India continues with everyone in high spirits, although I fear that many have succumbed to a mild form of the dreaded Delhi-belly. Fortunately it has tended to be a 24 hour event and it has even provided the occasional laugh - you would probably have to be here to appreciate that final comment but I am sure any member of the team will be able to explain upon our return.

"We are currently on our project phase of the expedition. This involves us working in a primary school in a small village/town called Nagger. The school itself is called the Bran Primary School. It has been a real eye-opener to all of us.We are spoilt in the UK with all the opportunities and facilities so readily made available to us and this has not goneunnoticed by the team. There is nothing that is not treasured here.Asfar as I can tell they are without desks and only the teacher has a chair and desk. Posters are so clearly valued that they are mostly glued to the walls or key teaching aids have been painted on directly. There are certainly no computers or interactive whiteboards. Indeed the old blackboard and chalk is very much in evidence and the children write on writing tablets.

"The nature of our work is primarily painting the classrooms and interaction with the local children. We have had to buy all of our own materials for the project and the budgeting for this has been one of the many tasks that the team have had to manage as part of the project. I have been most impressed with how they have done. I went down with two of the lads to a small town to buy most of what we needed and was quite astounded at their ability to haggle and negotiate prices. I now see them in a very different light and wouldn't want to be on the other end of a negotiation with them. This ability to barter has been something that nearly all of the students have now become quite accustomed to, be it for accomodation in hotels in Manali to their meals in restaurants, or buying paint and tools for the project- most un-British!!

"We will be returning to Manali on Wednesday having completed our project phase and will then have a night to get our bearings before heading off on the trekking phase of the expedition. A night in a bed and a good shower will be most appreciated by that stage (indeed the shower is something that is vastly better than what I have had in the past few weeks back in Kennedy's! [because of all the building work]) and we will then be working our way into the mountains to the base camp of Deo Tibba. If we manage to make the height that we are hoping to attain we will reach approximately 4800 metres. To put that in perspective, Ben Nevis is 1410 metres.

"This is likely to be the last entry before we head off on the trek but I can certainly say on behalf of all the team that this is proving to be an exceptional experience and one that will remain with us all for many years to come. Perhaps I can already start tempting anyone who is reading this to start thinking about coming on the next expedition that I run!"

"Our flight out to Delhi went smoothly enough and we arrived in India at about noon on Tuesday 8th July. The immediate impression upon entering the airport was one of relative calm - most unexpected. All the luggage came through and we proceeded out to get our taxis into the city itself. The drive into the city was exciting and different from the usual black cab experience in and around London. The poverty hit home straight away and one could see villages of tents where workers who were working on a new commuter line were working. It was not unusual to be accosted by beggars when we stopped at traffic lights and indeed this was a theme throughout our brief stay in Delhi.

"Having had an overnight flight, there was to be no respite in our travels. At 6pm we were off again on a coach journey to Manali. Not quite the 18 hours we were told it might be but near enough. We arrived in Manali at 10.30am - another journey that will live long in our memories!

"Compared to our accommodation in Morocco we have been able to secure lodgings in a perfectly pleasant hotel although we are trying out another one tomorrow before heading off onto the expedition phase of our project. We have been out trekking today as part of our acclimatisation. It was a good distance and the weather held throughout. As we are now in the monsoon season we have already experienced some heavy downpours and I daresay that we will find ourselves caught in some torrents before our time here is out. Then again, if the weather had been anything to go by back in England when we were leaving, I suspect we are not really missing out on anything!

"Eating out has been a fascinating experience. We have a fairly strict budget to stick to and I have been impressed with how the boys have all worked within the limits. Let me offer reassurance that the food out here has been excellent and very varied. No Delhi-belly to report as yet (touch wood)!"