I just met one of the dumbest men in years of traipsing around the Himalaya. He is a Chinese chap from Wuhan. Speaks reasonable English and is currently trying to kill himself by ignoring ever rule on acclimatisation in the book. He has rushed up in three days from Lukla to Machermo a trip that the guidelines say should take a minimum of six days and for which I used a leisurely nine. Now while he suffers from terrible headaches, the result of fluid buildup in the brain, he wants to push on to Cho La a dangerous high pass which requires good weather and crampons to cross. It’s snowing, and he has no crampons or winter hiking experience whatsoever. Both the Lodge owner and I have been trying to convince him of the error of his ways but to no avail. I told him flat out he is likely to die out there I don’t think I can be any clearer than that.