Told in a diary format over 350 fully-illustrated pages, the book tells the story of Steve's last 13 weeks of training before flying to Kathmandu, as well as the journey itself, which was 109km long. This trip challenged him in many ways, even leading him to get over his fear of heights in order to cross the many metal suspension bridges high above the Dudh Koshi river. He concludes the book by reflecting and giving his advice on the trek, reminiscing on some of the sights and experiences, such as Thamel, Durbar Square, the Monkey Temple, a blind massage and even a round of golf. Steve had actually been to Nepal before, as part of a 17-month trip around the world in 1996, but he wasn’t able to reach the Khumbu region, home to Mount Everest. Since then, he had thought about returning to Nepal, but didn’t act on it until a few years ago.

He details his decision in his upcoming book: “As my 50th birthday approached, and my 40’s were hanging by a thread, I had decided I was going to look at whether I could go. With time limited by my teaching schedule, I researched the trip – companies and timings, the logistics, the costs and the impacts on the family for such a long time away. I selected the dates, paid the deposit, waited for Covid to be over, bought the flights, stared training and got my kit together. On the 20 September 2022, it was time. Nepal – I was coming.”

As part of the expedition, Steve has successfully raised over £1200 for Teenage Cancer Trust UK and hopes to increase this figure from the sale of his book.

Everest Base Camp will be released in April 2023, available to buy from JMD Media or Amazon, with all royalties being donated to the Teenage Cancer Trust UK. Steve is also offering Loughborough staff and students a £5 discount for a signed copy of the book, available after Easter (email S.Caron@lboro.ac.uk for more information).