Expensive afternoon buying kit

I've just spent my afternoon at Cotswold Outdoor in Durham, looking at sleeping bags and walking poles and eventually buying some!

It involved a lot of rolling around on the floor zipped up in a sleeping bag feeling overly warm, and walking up and down the shop floor trying out the poles.

The sleeping bag has a comfort rating of -18°C so hopefully I should stay toasty no matter how high we go.

I'm very happy with my purchases and can't wait to use them in the mountains of India!

Post travelling India excitement

I've just got back from three weeks of travelling in Europe, though the Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - and Poland. I went with a friend from university, and we explored the capital cities, peaceful towns, beautiful national parks and cool sights. It was pretty in cool. Actually it was awesome, and I'm in a major low of post-holiday blues right now. Here are some photos of our adventure!

It's made me even more excited to go to India. I love the feeling of carrying my belongings in my rucksack and being able to fend for myself. I also love meeting new people, seeing new sights and experiencing unexpected things.

I'm now working harder than ever to raise funds for the expedition. I finished my ten week internship in London and have put all of that money aside. I'm going to be even more frugal back at university in Durham (more carbs, less meat - great!) so I can save more. We even couchsurfed in Gdansk, Poland, so we didn't have to pay for a hostel! (If you don't know what Coushsurfing is, take a look at the website).

These are the mountains I'm used to

I'm lucky enough to be able to spend a lot of time in the Lake District. I love spending days out on the fells and camping in the wild, as well as doing a bit of planking (more info here).

I'm sure the Himalayas will prove to be very different to the Lakes - I can't wait!

Planking near the summit of Scafell Pike at sunrise, Summer 2013

View over Wastwater whilst walking Wainwright's Coast to Coast route, Easter 2014

The expedition

The expedition I'll be going on is the Indian Himalaya expedition with the British Exploring Society, as part of their Trainee Leader programme.

Find out more here:

The Trainee Leader programme
The Indian Himalaya Ladakh expedition

What's this blog all about?

This blog is to share information about my upcoming expedition to India, in July 2015, with the British Exploring Society (part of the Royal Geographical Society). The expedition will be to the Ladakh region of northern India, in the Himalayas.

My name is Anna, and firstly I'd like to thank you for visiting my blog! I'm currently trying to raise funds for this adventure, so I'd like to create an honest picture of what you're supporting and to get you involved in this journey. I'll also be posting about the training I'm doing, and after the expedition I'm sure there will be hundreds of photos!

This expedition will take me from my home in the South of England to the area around Leh, in the Indian Ladakh region of the Himalayas. I'll be on the Trainee Leader programme, so I'll also attend three training weekends over a nine month period prior to the expedition to India, where I'll continue my training as part of the wider British Exploring expedition. The expedition will be six weeks long, and I'll be going out as part of the advance party. I'll also have a de-brief/assessment weekend in the November after we've all returned to England.

The expedition will involve experiencing the unique culture in the remote and unspoilt region of India we'll be visiting, as well as scientific research at the third highest weather station in the world. We'll investigate the effects of climate change on the region, feeding data to the British Antarctic Survey. We'll also be trekking and climbing up to 6,000m and sleeping beside the Dalai Lama's palace!

Of course, exciting expeditions like this can't happen without financial arrangements. The expedition will cost around £3,700, excluding the cost of flights and kit, and the flight will be in the region of £1000. I've managed to raise £1000 so far, so I'm now aiming to raise the remaining £3,700 - no mean feat!

To raise money so far, I've been:

- working in London all summer as a consultant in a professional services firm (summer holiday sacrifice!)

- saving up all money earned through activities with the OTC (Officers' Training Corps) at university in Durham

- saving money on heating at uni and wearing five jumpers at once (actually that's probably the same as most students..)

- babysitting in my village at home

I'll keep posting on this blog with more information about the expedition and what I'm doing to fundraise.

Thanks for reading!