When Jazz, our Charity Support here at Discover Adventure, casually suggested to her mum, Nikky, that they tackle one of our Himalayas Trek together, neither could have imagined just how transformative the journey would be. What started as a "spur of the moment discussion"evolved into something far more meaningful - a chance to raise money for Parkinson's UK in honour of Jazz's grandad, who had lived with the condition.

"He passed away a few months after we booked the challenge," Jazz explains, "so it felt like quite an emotional trek when it came round to it."

At 24, Jazz would be the youngest in the group by at least a decade. She'd done lots of trekking before - including walking the length of New Zealand over four months and completing our Sahara Desert Trek the previous year - but this would be different. This time, she'd be trekking alongside her mum.

For Nikky, this was genuinely uncharted territory. Her first major overseas trek, having only tackled UK mountains like Snowdon and Scafell Pike before, and never anything involving multiple consecutive days in the mountains.

Best-Laid Plans

The pair created what looked like a solid training plan: a mountain trip each month to supplement gym work, plus some multi-day hikes to prepare their bodies for the daily demands of trekking. "There is nothing better than actually getting out into the mountains to help your body adjust to terrain which can't be replicated in a gym," Jazz notes.

Then life intervened, as it often does. Nikky injured her back in the summer, and suddenly their carefully constructed training regime "went out the window." What followed were numerous chiropractor visits and a complete recalibration of expectations. A test trip to Ben Nevis in August proved the back wasn't as healed as hoped, so the plan became simpler: walk every day, with a couple of trips to Pen y Fan to assess readiness.

"Mentally, I just believed I would get there," Nikky recalls. "People had sponsored, so I was afraid I would let people down."

Jazz wasn't nervous for herself - "I wasn't nervous about anything for me personally" - but about how her mum would cope. The role reversal had already begun.

Namaste to Nepal

Landing in Kathmandu brought immediate rewards. For Nikky, who had never visited before, the cultural immersion was exactly what she'd hoped for. For Jazz, it was simpler: "I can't lie, I was most excited about witnessing some of the biggest mountains in the world. Knowing that realistically, I'll never be summitting any 8,000m summits, it was like ticking off a bucket list achievement to see some in real life."

The trek itself delivered on every promise in the itinerary. The landscape shifted constantly as they walked - from dense rhododendron and oak forests through Shivapuri National Park to waterfalls, small villages perched on ridges, and eventually above the tree line where those impossibly massive peaks dominated every view.

"What remained," Jazz says, "was always the view of those insane peaks that tower over you. At one point, we could even see one of the tallest Tibetan mountains - my mind was blown!"

The villages offered authentic glimpses into mountain life that you can't manufacture. "Namaste was the greeting used to everyone," Jazz remembers, "from the elders and children to even the dogs and cows who all seemed to understand the well wishes." They walked past locals working cultivated fields, passed people collecting bamboo leaves along steep paths, and even trekked through a small school during morning exercises.

"The children were adorable and so polite," Nikky adds. "The villages were colourful, and a perfect example of normal life in Nepal."

Even the local dogs became part of the adventure, walking miles each day alongside the trekkers. "They felt a bit like the protectors to the group," Jazz laughs, "until they reached their boundary and turned around to head back home."

The Mountain Reality Check

Let's be honest about what neither of them quite anticipated: the sheer volume of steps. Not Steps the pop band - actual, relentless, never-ending stone steps carved into mountainsides. This is Nepal, after all, and steps are how you navigate valleys and peaks when there's no other way through.

"I wish I had known about the steps before we went," Nikky admits with honesty. But here's the thing - she got through them. And so did Jazz. And so did everyone else, each at their own pace, supporting each other along the way.

"I surprised myself with the sheer amount of steps that we tackled each day," Jazz reflects, "along with such a drastic ascent and descent. It was a real mental game to get into a rhythm on those steps to keep going at a pace that didn't require a break every five paces."

For Nikky, accepting her pace became crucial. "Everyone knew I was slower, and I accepted that and kept plodding." That acceptance - and the group's support - made all the difference.

And the steps? They led somewhere extraordinary. To sunset views that had Jazz feeling "quite literally like a little kid at Christmas." To ridge-top teahouses with pink-hazed mountains on one side and the setting sun on the other. To that magical highest point at Thadepati Pass (3,690m), where cloud inversions in the valleys and snow-capped peaks made every single step worthwhile.

When It Gets Real

Day four (or possibly five - they blur together in memory) brought Nikky to what she describes as her lowest point. At the back of the pack on a steep descent, she slipped on shale and landed hard. But it wasn't the fall that broke her - it was the complete exhaustion that meant she simply couldn't get back up.

"I sobbed on the shoulder of a fellow experienced trekker who hugged me and just reminded me how far I had come and what I had achieved as a novice," she shares. "She got me up, and then Raj gave me a pep talk, too, and off we went again. When I got to the bottom, I hugged and cried on Jazz too… and then just started slowly again."

What Nikky didn't know was that Jazz was having her own struggles. Despite her previous trekking experience, Jazz later admitted to colleagues that this was the hardest thing she'd ever done. There were lots of tears, tough moments, and days when the constant ascents and descents tested her in new ways.

"The toughest moment for me was seeing how tough my mum was finding the trek," Jazz says, "particularly after that steep descent knowing we had to ascend the same height again just to reach our lunch stop." She'd forgotten to give her usual morning pep talk that day and "didn't realise what an impact that had."

This is what these challenges do - they test everyone, regardless of age or experience. They push you to discover reserves you didn't know you had. And crucially, they remind you that vulnerability and strength aren't opposites.

When Roles Reverse

"Our roles definitely reversed," Jazz reflects. "I became the experienced one coaching mum all the way and every now and again, she would come out with 'thanks mum'."

For Nikky, seeing her daughter in this professional environment - watching her work, essentially, as our Charity Support on a DA trek - was revelatory. "It was lovely to see what a confident young lady she is, to see her in a more professional environment was a new one for me and made me very proud."

Those daily morning pep talks became ritual. Jazz would coach Nikky through what to expect each day, offer encouragement, and help her mentally prepare. "Jazz was a huge support to me," Nikky says. "It was great to just chat about life in general."

But it was Nikky's grit that surprised Jazz most. "I already knew how tough my mum was before the trek, however I didn't realise how strong her grit and determination was until we did this challenge. She definitely gets that from my grandad and he would be so proud of her for taking on something so out of her comfort zone."

That determination meant accepting help when needed - something Nikky admits she's "generally not good at" - and just keeping going, one step at a time.

What the Mountains Teach

So what did five days of trekking through rhododendron forests, over suspension bridges, past waterfalls and through Sherpa villages actually teach them?

"I am proud that I got through it," Nikky says. The trek awakened "a desire to see the world" and proved she was capable of far more than she'd imagined - even if future adventures might involve "flatter" routes or "just one with no steps."

They discovered their different travel priorities, too. Jazz thrives on pushing limits and "going to the trekking extreme to see the places that no one else does" - the adrenaline chase that comes with youth and enthusiasm. Nikky prefers being "more culturally immersed" at a slower pace, soaking in the people and places. Both approaches are equally valid, and the Trek Himalayas satisfied both beautifully.

"This challenge is perfect for anyone who would like a balanced mix of culture and trekking," Jazz explains. "It's ideal if you're crunched for time but have always wanted to visit Nepal as the challenge is 10 days long from start to finish in the UK at the airport."

Starting just an hour's drive from Kathmandu, the trek packs in spectacular scenery and authentic cultural experiences without spending days in transit. You get time to explore Kathmandu and the old-world charm of Bhaktapur, then head straight into the mountains where those awe-inspiring views of great peaks and glaciers await.

The Power of People

Beyond the mountains themselves, both Jazz and Nikky rave about their fellow trekkers - and this matters enormously on a challenge like this.

"The people are a huge part of adventure," Jazz emphasises. "They can really make or break an adventure for you. We were so fortunate to have such a wonderful group of people to trek with. Everyone brought something, which made it such an enjoyable environment, helping to cheer everyone on at the exact moments when someone needed it."

It was a fellow trekker who hugged Nikky when she couldn't get up after her fall. It was the group that accepted everyone's individual pace without judgment. It was the collective energy that carried people through the tough moments.

"I love every single person I met on that challenge," Jazz adds, "and would be so lucky to do another trek with any of them."

This is what we see time and again on our challenges - a group of strangers becoming a team, supporting each other through moments they'll remember forever.

Honest Advice from Those Who've Done It

Both Jazz and Nikky have clear guidance for anyone considering this challenge:

Train smart. "Just train, put the hours in and make sure you have good boots and poles," Nikky advises. Include steps in your training - a stair master at the gym, stairs at home, actual hills and mountains where possible. Your body will thank you.

Mental preparation matters. "Have a positive and open mind that you can complete the challenge each day," Jazz suggests, "and share how you're feeling with your fellow participants. Be open to them supporting you, and you'll make it!"

Accept your pace. This isn't a race. Some days will be harder than others. Some sections will challenge you more than you expected. That's completely normal and entirely the point.

Get comfortable being uncomfortable. As Nikky learned, "Adventure is getting out there." Sometimes that means accepting you'll be slower, accepting help from others, and discovering strengths you didn't know you had.

Just do it. This is Jazz's bottom line: "Absolutely do it! Get familiar with the steps, and you'll be all good."

The Verdict

Would they do it again? Their answers perfectly capture their different personalities and priorities.

Jazz: "One of the best experiences trekking I've ever had, so wholesome and I'd do it again in a heartbeat." She's already got "proper mountain fever" with her eyes on Mount Toubkal and Kilimanjaro.

Nikky: "It hasn't made me want to do another big hike (just yet)." But she's proud she completed it, and she sums up the Trek Himalayas beautifully: "A culturally refreshing and calming hike with views to take your breath away."

Both prove that this challenge offers something special - whether you're 24 and chasing your next adrenaline rush, or taking on your first major overseas trek and discovering what you're truly capable of.

The Trek Himalayas delivered everything promised: fascinating culture, great trails, and spectacular Himalayan scenery. It challenged both Jazz and Nikky in different ways - one testing physical limits and mental resilience, the other learning when to coach and when to walk alongside.

They emerged from thick rhododendron forests to views above the tree line that made them feel like kids at Christmas. They passed through hospitable mountain villages that welcomed them with "Namaste" and showed them authentic Nepalese life. They were adopted by protective mountain dogs, saw wild monkeys while trekking, and spent evenings in teahouses experiencing the warmth and hospitality that make Nepal so special.

They cried, they laughed, they gave each other pep talks, and they made it. Together and alongside a group of incredible people who became friends.

And through it all, they honoured the memory of the man who inspired the journey - a grandad whose grit and determination lived on in his daughter and granddaughter, one step at a time, all the way through the Himalayas.

Ready to write your own Himalayan story?

The Himalayas Trek is challenging in mountainous terrain. Still, you remain at relatively low altitudes (by Nepalese standards, anyway!) while being rewarded with some of the most magnificent mountain panoramas in the world. It's ten days that pack in trekking, culture, and spectacular scenery without spending ages travelling.

Whether you're an experienced trekker looking for your next adventure or a determined first-timer ready to discover what you're capable of, this is a challenge that will surprise you - in the best possible way.