We finally left Rome Airport on a flight bound for New Delhi on April 20^th. We checked in more than 250Kg of baggage, including photographic and scientific equipment and other material required for a long expedition. We made sure there was enough space for three litres of top quality olive oil, a good supply of parmesan cheese, a stash of coffee, an obligatory Italian moka coffee maker and a couple of bottles of good red wine to celebrate with! The next day we landed in India at 7.40 hours local time and took a connecting flight to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Here we spent the first day filling out official forms and making last minute arrangements. Time was also spent finalizing the itinerary and other expedition details with the local agency responsible for our trek. We then applied for a visa to enter China and permits for the Kangchenjunga area. After sorting out the paperwork we spent the rest of our time exploring Kathmandu. We then had some time to rest and delve into William Freshfield’s fascinating book on his 1899 expedition to the area, an amazing and captivating journey back in time. Stay tuned!