Hinkes Versus Annapurna Update

Hot from Berghaus, here's the latest on Alan Hinkes' attempt on Annapurna, summit number 12 in his quest to become the first Brit to summit all 14 8,000-metre peaks:

'Speaking by satellite telephone from Kathmandu, Alan Hinkes has given Berghaus a progress report on his expedition to Annapurna. Alan has been finalising the logistics of his expedition since arriving in Kathmandu, and that organisation has taken considerable time and effort. At the time of his call, he was preparing to fly the following day to Pokhara, from where a two hour drive was due to take him to the start of his trek to base camp.

Alan Hinkes at the recent Outdoors Show where he announced his Annapurna bid

'The trek in will take Alan about seven to eight days and is one of some variety. For two or three days it will be a fairly standard Himalayan trek, but this is followed by about four tough days in the wilderness as Alan makes his way to the remote base camp on the north side of Annapurna, where he is hoping to meet up with an Indian expedition to the same mountain. He will then set up camp and start the full acclimatisation process, prior to his attempt on the north face of this 8,000m giant.

'Alan does not know the exact conditions on Annapurna at the moment, but has heard reports of late snow on the mountain. He is fit, well and feeling very positive about the expedition and is still planning a summit bid for around the last week in May. While in Kathmandu, Alan has been enjoying the local cuisine and general hospitality. On Saturday, he celebrated New Year's Eve with the Nepalese and is now somewhat ahead of us in time, as it is now the year 2059 out there.

Look out for further reports on Alan's progress on the Berghaus website www.berghaus.com and, of course, on OM in the coming weeks. Oh, a quick tip, there's a new caption competition on the Berghaus site, so if you're feeling witty, get stuck in.

For more information on Alan Hinkes, see this profile.