Worcestershire Batting Coach-Second Eleven Coach Kevin Sharp is again winding down and relaxing after the demands of a six month cricket season – by trekking across the Himalayas.
Twelve months ago Sharp and wife Jeanette went to Bhutan in the eastern Himalayan region for two weeks.
But this time they are undertaking a different route at a height of around 12,500 feet before Kevin reports back to New Road for the start of winter training next month.
The former Yorkshire batsman said: “We are going to Nepal this time. We get to Kathmandu and then we head off for a five day trek through the foothills of the Annapurnas.
“Then we go back to Kathmandu and then out to the lower Everest region and then we do a five day trek through there.
“It’s walking sticks at the ready. You tend to think when you go on these treks that you are going to come back absolutely shattered.
“But although you get a lot of exercise, you get a lot of rest as well, a lot of fresh air, some good food so it is quite a refreshing experience and beautiful scenery.
“This is our third long haul in the Himalayas region and my wife and I thought we would do it while we were young enough.
“There is no telephone, no signal, you just leave a message on your phone and say ‘I’ll speak to you in a couple of weeks if you need to contact me.’
“You don’t watch TV and it is very peaceful. There is a guide, who is very experienced, and a porter.
“The guide we had last time was a former Ghurka soldier who did his training in the Brecon Beacons and he was brilliant and led us through the whole expedition.”
Sharp added: “It is very up and down, a lot of climbing, but time-wise you are talking five or six hours a day.
“You get up at six and go off at eight, get to where you are heading about about 2pm and then relax in a chair reading a book overlooking the mountains in the afternoon. We stay in some nice lodges.
“We go quite high up, the maximum this time is about 12,500 feet but in Bhutan it was 14,000 feet. That caused a bit of altitude and a mild headache which you can get so high up.”
