Having travelled to Naryn in our cramped lorry, we arrived at the Celestial Mountains Guest House and emerged like butterflies, stretching our limbs, circulating blood to the extremities of our bodies. You can sense the excitement as people prioritise their fantasies – a cleansing shower, Internet connection or a quick trip to the nearest shop to buy a favourite snack and drink. For me it’s shower, then Internet, but with so many trying to connect with the outside world, it is slow. Chris and Alice shop first so we have snacks when we have our first beer.

Now clean, a change of clothes and a quick trawl of the Internet, we head off to our little booth for a beer or two. Boy, it tastes good. The crisps were so moorish we get through three large packets. It is Saturday evening and the place is busier than I have seen it before. Most booths are occupied and plates of food are being delivered. Even flies go out on Saturday evening and they are a bit of a pain.

Refreshed, we return to the guest house for dinner. There is a subdued sense of satisfaction, people are clean, they have contacted people at home and they have spoiled themselves with familiar, tasty comforts.

Bed beckons. It has been a tiring trek. There is so much expectation surrounding bed but it proves to be disappointing. Sleep does not come easily, it is too hot, too stuffy, too uncomfortable. I want my tent back. Now that others are asleep the Internet is much quicker and my phone is a distraction. It pings. Ignore it, but the light it casts across the room draws me like a beacon. Rain starts to drum on corrugated roof and cars parked outside. It starts to get light and still sleep has evaded me. In the end, having tossed, turned and coughed all night, I get up, shower again, because I can, and head down for breakfast.

It is really raining and I am grateful that all we have to do today is drive to Bishkek. We have been lucky with rain throughout this trek. There has been much more than expected but it has, without fail, come at the right time, during the night, just after putting tents up, in the evening, driving in our cramped lorry, rarely when we have been exposed on mountain sides.

After breakfast we climb aboard our two minibuses and start the journey north to Bishkek, first through the mountains until we reach the flat plains of the north where we follow the border with Kazakstan to Bishkek.

Our driver is distracted, erratic, driving too fast for the conditions, always harrying the car in front. We doze but only so we cannot see the risks ahead.

In Kochkor, we visit a women’s cooperative craft centre. I visited it four years ago on my way back from China and K2. They said they remembered but I have my doubts. It didn’t stop them from showering me with three free gifts but that was probably because the group collectively spent a fortune, having had money but nothing to spend it on for so long.

Having spent, we lunched at the same house as we did on the journey into the mountains. Excellent fare. Then a visit to another ‘Nandicraft’ centre before completing the journey to Bishkek. Out of the mountains the road was straighter, faster, busier. Our driver alarmed us on a number of occasions travelling six feet behind the vehicle in front at 110kph. It left no room for manoeuvre or reaction. It was with some relief that we reached the Alpinist Hotel, a comfortable boutique style hotel, booked at short notice because of our early return to Bishkek. It’s a very nice hotel with a relaxed atmosphere and good food. It is a shame we cannot have both nights here.

Natalia from Asia Mountains met us and I was able to organise transport to take us all into town in the morning, to a restaurant for lunch and transfer us to Asia Mountains 2 in the afternoon for our last night and early start for the homeward journey.

Indeed, the meal in the evening was excellent. There was a calm and relaxed atmosphere as I bought the group a drink if they wanted one. It ensures that they don’t do anything silly. To keep us all entertained, Chris played the piano, using an app on his iPhone. Chris is totally self taught and manages to achieve a high standard. He does seem to be able to turn his hand to a great many things and the more I have got to know him the more I appreciate him being a part of the team.

Had a worthwhile sleep, which I put down to having the air conditioning on all night.

I tend to hate last days, as much of the time you are thinking of the journey ahead, taking the pleasure out of the here and now. Dimitri came to take us shopping for those items we had so far failed to buy, returning to the shopping complex we visited at the start of our trip. Many of the group had failed to spend all of their money so an hour was filled changing their Com into Euros, much more useful than trying to change them to Pounds in the present climate.

Lunch was taken in a very smart restaurant. Even the students felt they were underdressed.

Our final destination was to transfer ourselves to Asia Mountains 2 Hotel for a relaxing afternoon and our celebratory dinner in the evening. The hotel was very comfortable and the meal in the evening lived up to expectation.

At the end I made my customary thanks to the staff for the support and company during the trip and presented them each with a coffee table book on Kyrgyzstan.

The pupils have been excellent throughout and I was pleased to be able to tell them, to the extent that they have been one of the easiest groups I have had in every respect, a credit to the school, their parents and themselves. They had a surprise for me and presented me with a smooth, obelisk shaped stone that they picked up during the trek. Chris wrote ‘Kyrgyzstan 2016’ along the length of it and each member of the group had printed their name on the other side. Thinking that was it I was then surprised again when they produced a full length velvet coat embroidered with gold thread and a Kyrgyz hat. It looked stunning. Thank you guys.

Fittingly we sat on the top floor balcony finishing our drinks watching the sun set on a fabulous trip to Kyrgyzstan. I’ll be back!

This is also my final chapter as the one at the head of the Himalayan Club. After 25 years, I have decided, again, that it needs a younger member of staff at the helm. Needless to say, I wish I could go on and on, but I have to be realistic. It has been a tremendous 25 years for me and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I would like to thanks the hundreds of pupils that have taken up the challenge, the parents who have had faith in my ability to look after their children in challenging environments, and who have demanded their own expeditions, the staff and doctors who have supported me and the school for allowing me to follow my passion. Thank you to you all.

I will, of course, continue to seek out adventures for people nearer my own age, like my next trip, kayaking the River Wye.

Magda had to deal with sick passengers on each of our return flights – a Swiss man on the first and a Nigerian on the second. 4/4, not bad, eh?