Dayton Littles Everest Story | October 2018

From October 1st to 18th 2018, Dayton Little, Private Client Senior Practitioner in our Chippenham office headed off on a trip of a lifetime. Here he tells his story...

I have always been a keen walker, although mainly in the UK. I have completed the National Three Peaks Challenge and have a Bucket List of trips I would like to do. So, when the opportunity came up to realise one of these dreams and join a group to Trek up to Everest Base Camp I seized the opportunity with both feet!

After a day of travelling to get to Nepal, and a day’s sightseeing in Kathmandu, we eagerly (with some trepidation) awaited an internal flight to Lukla (known as the most dangerous airport landing in the world). 

Having survived the landing, ahead of us lay 12 continuous days of trekking through the most amazing and diverse scenery imaginable. The plan was to take 8 days to get to Everest Base Camp (incorporating 2 acclimatisation days as we ascended) and then 4 days for the trek back to Lukla and that “interesting” flight back to Kathmandu.

The following days saw us trekking up and down the paths (“flat” doesn’t exist in Nepal!) alongside glacial rivers and through valleys weaving in and out of Yak and mule trains carrying supplies for the villages further up, gradually gaining altitude towards our goal, staying in “tea houses” – local lodges - each night for a welcome meal and hot drink. We started off by walking in trousers and T-shirts through beautiful wooded valleys, which were soon left behind in exchange for more barren terrain surrounded by majestic  snow-capped mountains. As we gained height, the air got thinner making the walking harder and the layers went on as the temperature dropped! 

Our final night in the tea house at Lobuje before the attempt at Base Camp saw temperatures down to -12 degrees, and it was still -6 degrees when we set off the next morning. After 3 hours we stopped at a very basic and barren settlement called Gorak-Shep for breakfast, and then the final 2 hour push to the Everest Base Camp which stands at 5,365 metres (almost £17,500 feet) above sea level. The euphoria and team spirit of reaching our goal was absolutely amazing.

The whole trip was incredible and hard to put into words. The camaraderie of 14 strangers was fantastic and created such a bond that even six months later we are still in touch. The Nepalese people were lovely and so welcoming and our Sherpa Sirdar, guides and porters couldn’t do enough for us – we certainly wouldn’t have made it without them.

Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE) urges Wiltshire residents to check eligibility for LPA refund

Heather Wannell Head of Private Client at Awdry Bailey & Douglas is urging people to check their eligibility for a lasting power of attorney (LPA) fee refund, after almost two million people were overcharged by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) between 2013 and 2017. Claimants can expect to receive a refund of up to £54, with any accrued interested since the registration was made.

So far, only 200,000 of the 1.8million people owed have claimed their refund, meaning that there’s £77million still owed to customers.

To apply for a refund visit: http://gov.uk/power-of-attorney-refund. The exact amount will depend on when the registration was made, and claims must be made by 1^st February 2021.

An LPA is an important document that gives a loved one the power to make decisions on your behalf when you can no longer do so. There are two types of LPA: a health and welfare LPA, and a property and financial affairs LPA.

Recent research from SFE found that there are only 7% of LPAs in place across the UK, meaning that millions of people are currently unprepared for later life. SFE urges anyone planning for their future to consider setting up an LPA and seek advice from a specialist lawyer.

Lakshmi Turner, Chief Executive of SFE, said: 

“Whilst it’s comforting to know that people are making provisions by putting in place LPAs, millions of families, many of whom may have been going through a tough time with elderly relatives, will have been needlessly overcharged.

“It’s good to see the OPG addressing the error, and with the deadline for applications approaching, we’re urging people to check their eligibility for a refund soon.”

Heather said:

“It takes about ten minutes to claim online. You’ll need the donor’s bank details and a copy of the LPA, if you have it. If you need help or more information about making a claim, there’s a Refunds Helpline you can contact, either via telephone on 0300 456 0300 or email poarefunds@justice.gsi.gov.uk.” 

For more information on Awdry Bailey & Douglas or SFE, please contact Heather Wannell on 01793 853200.