I think that would be an absolutely excellent idea, provided you can find a light one. Could also be handy when peeing on some of the trails, which are very exposed.

God bless you, David. You have secured your place in heaven.

Mind you, I’m now wondering if these poor girls in Faces were innocent Nepali clubgoers. My gut says no. But, lord, who knows?!

Well, the first time I went to Nepal (20 years ago) Kathmandu was more innocent than it is now. There were very few bars and they mostly closed at 10pm. A night out was a Pizza at Fire and Ice followed by a few beers at Rumdoodle or a curry at the Third Eye.

There were not a lot of “ladies” about and certainly not the influx of SE Asian “talent”.

During load shedding, which although common was not daily, the city went dark and candles were used. You stayed in your hotel and ate there if it went dark.

The second time I went (maybe 2001?) it was all a bit more lively, but still fairly innocent.

I wasn’t pursued by sidling touts offering me “Something Sexy”. I was, off course, pursued by sidling touts offering hash, tiger balm, singing bowls, and deals on special bowls.

So, when we (yes I was accompanied by a wife) saw a “Dance Bar and Grill” still open at 10 and as we were not due to fly till the next day we thought why not.

In we went and were immediately intercepted and escorted by a squadron of very pleasant looking young Thai girls (I assume they were girls anyway).

They were very solicitious and bought drinks but when I asked for a plate of Chips Chilli (from a menu on the table) I didn’t expect a problem. After half an hour, during which the pleasant young ladies would drag me from my table every half an hour and show me a room with a bed, I asked where the food was.

They told me there was “Snake in Kitchen” and made hissing noises and sinuous arm movements.

Well, I had to have a look didn’t I? So I went to the kitchen and opened the door. There was no kitchen, no stove, no pots and predictably, no snake. Just boys playing cards.

Being nonplussed I started back to the table only to be intercepted by a pleasant young Thai girl, who put her arms around me and thrust her groin at me.

Being English, I was acutely embarrassed and more than a little worried about the wife seeing me in the arms of a pleasant young Thai girl (or boy)so extracted myslef from her (his) grip and went back to the table.

The pleasant young Thai girls were obviously surprised by my reticence but tried another tac by dragging my wife off to see one of their rooms.

Eventually, a cardboard tray with a portion of chips and chilli sauce arrived (not from the direction of the kitchen) and I was given a wooden cocktail stick to eat them with.

As we were walking away I said to wife “Bit of a strange place that, what?”

It was only when I got back and related the episode to Diana Penny Sherpani (The organiser of the early Everest Marathons) and had the scales removed from my eyes that I understood what had happened.

We were a hell of a long way up! Poor Zac had a headache afterwards…

And, yes, do let me know what the state of play is with the young ladies of Faces. Who knows? There may be a host of maturer ladies there in search of Gurkhas *sigh*…

How on EARTH did you manage to have dinner in a brothel? I stayed in one in Mali, once — it was the only budget lodging available — and I went to a couple in East Indonesia just, ya know, to take a look with a friend.

Oh, and I’ve loved reading your whole Everest Trek Log.

Inspired.

It has kept me going until I’m out there again in May.

And I will check out the young ladies in Faces and report back!

But I must point out that I have had dinner at a Brothel in Kathmandu, by mistake, and not been able to understand why solicitous gigling Thai girls kept dragging me off to show me their sleeping quarters.

“Yes, yes, very nice my dear … and this is where you sleep when you are not serving customers is it?” in best Prince Charles attitude.

It was quite some time before I understood why they had trouble producing food and made an excuse about a snake in the kitchen.

Live and learn eh?