Once I returned to camp 2, my health took a dip - I seemed to pick up a chest infection, so the decision was made to get me back to Kathmandu for immediate treatment - not the way I wanted to leave the mountain or my team That being said, very few people get the opportunity to fly in a helicopter over the #Khumbu icefall - this really gives you the incredible scale of the icefall and #Everest Base Camp Thanks to everyone for your brilliant support - I didn’t bring home the bacon, and I am still processing the profound disappointment, but I am proud of our team and I am proud of the decisions I made on the mountain. I came back in (mostly) good health and I still have all of my fingers/toes 3/3

@agintegrity kicking off @BeefAustralia at the @CattleAus Breakfast Symposium. Gonna be a big week! #beef24

Who’s heading to Albury next week for the @CattleAus industry forum? @agintegrity guest dinner speaker ‘Preparing for and surviving the extremes – Mt Everest & Lhotse’ Going to be a great event 🐮 🥩 🌱

Sunrise Gantheaume Point, #Broome #cablebeach

@agintegrity talking Everest to the Kimberley Pilbara Cattleman’s conference 🏔️ 💪

The entire crowd in awe of amazing @agintegrity (TGS old boy) regaling courageous Everest adventures at Aust Cotton Awards. Inspiring leadership 👏 & $450socks #embracethesuck #attitudedeterminesaltitude @CottonAustralia @grainsandfibre @ToowoombaGS @JoSheppard04 @fleuranderson

I caught up with @Olilelievre from the @humans_of_ag team to discuss my recent attempt to summit Mt Everest and Lhotse ‘Trent has returned from his attempt to reach the summit of Mt #Everest. Host, Oli Le Lievre sits down with him to reflect on his incredible journey and the raw decision to turn-back, only ~8hr from the top.’ 'Below is an excerpt from Trent after he decided to listen to his body: "But it still immediately stung for the obvious reasons…  Because I knew that my one shot was gone.  We talked about it being one and done. And that's still my intention. I have no plans to ever go back.”' humansofagriculture.com/stor…

As for my summit dreams, they will have to wait There are no guarantees in mountaineering - I made the call at the South Col with respect to the Everest summit, that I was not in a sufficiently fit state to make an attempt, so I did not head off for the summit push. Given the dangers involved, I could not in good conscious make an attempt on the summit and potentially put myself and my Sherpa in peril. The mountain takes a swift toll on people who fail to leave sufficient energy in reserve for the descent. I tried to remain positive and head for the Lhotse summit on 24 May 2023 - the mind was willing but my body was not on the same page unfortunately, so I made a retreat for the safety of camp 2 2/3

Day 53 - firstly, huge congratulations to my team mates: Anna Ott Cris Salomon Lisa Jelly Bec Heah for summiting #Everest (Anna went on to summit #Lhotse the following day)! I could not be more thrilled for your success - and an incredible worthy group to reach the top of the world. I could not have spent almost two months on the mountain with a better bunch of humans. Of course, none of their success would be possible without the invaluable assistance of a small team working away feverishly in the background to make it all seamlessly happen I have said it many times before, but I am proud to be associated with the @AdvConsultants team, under the guiding hand of Guy Cotter & Suze Kelly - there is no better outfit on the mountain. Safety & detail focussed, tactically astute and full of integrity ( a rare commodity on the mountain) - we could not have been in better hands. Thanks to the eternal patience and guiding hands of Ang Dorjee (his 22nd summit) & Mark Austin - an amazing pair, who inspired us to drag ourselves out of our tents every day to move further up the mountain. Thanks to Dr Ben Alba for the morning chats, getting me over my damn cough and being an all-around bloody good bloke. And thanks to the Sherpas - who could not be inspired by their superhuman strength and stamina. I stopped being surprised at their daily acts of selflessness and willingness to go above and beyond - western clients simply could not climb these mountains without the enormous work that these guys do - I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Expedition Sirdar: Da Jangbu Sherpa Climbing Sirdar: Rinjin Sherpa Climbing Sherpa: Pasang Bhote Chewang Dorji Sherpa Nima Chiri Sherpa Lhakpa Chhiri Sherpa Pasang Wonju Bhote Dawa Geljen Sherpa Nima Kanchha Sherpa Pasang Rinji Sherpa Chewang Dorji Sherpa Pemba Chewang Sherpa Da Chiri Sherpa Pemba Dorji Sherpa Sanduk Dorji Tamang And to the guys that fuelled our climb with some of the best tucker out there: Cook and Base Camp Team: Chiri Lama Sherpa, Gelu Sherpa, Kitare Sherpa, Phurba Tamang, Tilak Rai, Pasang Gelu Sherpa, Pasang Sherpa, Mani Harka Rai, Lhakpa Nuru Sherpa, Pemba Tharke Sherpa and Nawang Sonam Sherpa. 1/3

Day 48 - we awoke early and left camp by 1am Unfortunately, as we were approaching crampon corner, we met three Sherpas who had come down out of the icefall The Sherpas informed us that there had been a collapse in the icefall and the route was not passable So we turned around and went back to our tents - another very good reminder of the imminent danger in the icefall The icefall doctors will hopefully repair the damage today and we will try again tonight

We now have our climbing plan, which is as follows: 1. Depart Everest Base Camp on 18 May 2023 heading to camp 2 - this will be a tough day as we will not be stopping at camp 1 (which we did on rotations 1 & 2) - should take about 15 hours; 2. 19 May 2023 - rest day camp 2 (6,500m); 3. 20 May 2023 - climb to camp 3 (7,300m); 4. 21 May 2023 - climb to camp 4 (8,000m) at the South Col, which should take about 6 hours (this will be all new terrain for me). Rest for the afternoon/early evening as we will be departing for the summit at 10pm; 5. 22 May 2023 - climb to summit of Mt Everest (8,848m) - all things going to plan, hopefully we will arrive at sunrise. Spend 30 min on the summit and then head back to the South Col for a well earned rest; 6. 23 May 2023 - climb to the summit of Lhotse (8,516m). This should take about 6 hours, and I will then descend all the way back to camp 2; 7. 24 May 2023 - descend back to Everest Base Camp.  As I have said before, @AdvConsultants will prove updates of our progress up the mountain (adventureconsultants.com/lat…). On summit days, the updates will be more regular, and you will know exactly where we are on the ascent. Thank you to everyone who has provided support and well wishes along the way - I have been quite overwhelmed with the support and I look forward to catching up with everyone when I return.

Day 41 - rest day feels at #Everest Base Camp 1. Sunrise 2. & 3. View from behind base camp, looking towards the Khumbu icefall, Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse

Day 39 - heading back to base camp from camp 2 after finishing our second rotation Bloody cold and windy morning - great to be back basking in the sunlight at base camp 1. Crevasse fun above the icefall 2. Looking towards the top of the icefall from the ‘popcorn section’ 3. Heading down towards the ‘football field’ in the icefall

Day 38 - finally acquainted myself with the Lhotse Face - a very cold day, and hard to take pictures Incredibly tough day - wind gusting to 80km/h, 815m altitude gained, 8 hr return to camp 2 (touched camp 3). Couldn’t feel my fingers for about an hour - just a suffer-fest on the jumar 1. Always hard to show the steepness of the terrain - bergschrunde (ice wall that is the start of the glacier) needed to be traversed before starting on the 70 degree Lhotse Face 2. Looking down the Western Cwm - typical blue ice on the left (bloody hard to get the crampons to bite into this gear) - bit of a traffic jam - giving way to uphill climbers - you can see camp 2 down on the RHS

Day 35 - we headed off for our second rotation up the mountain - a touch easier than the first time, but still bloody hard - took 9 hrs to get to camp 1 1. Early morning - approx. 2.30am - lower down the icefall before we clipped into the fixed lines 2. Mid-way up the icefall - Lisa Jelly working her way through a typical section 1/2

Day 35 - second rotation up the mountain 1. View from close to the top of the icefall, looking towards Nuptse bathed in sunlight 2. The problems are not over once you exit the icefall - to get to camp 1 you have to jumar up this 10m ice wall, which is tough going at about 6,000m 3. The crevasses on the way to camp 1 are quite large - Nuptse looms in the background 4. The majesty of the Western Cwm 2/2

Day 33 - another belter at #Everest base camp We have been given the dates of our next, & penultimate, rotation Head up to camp 1 early tomorrow morning, head to camp 2 on 5 May, rest day 6 May On 7 May, we touch camp 3 - 7,300m (but not stay at camp 3, & head back to camp 2), then on 8 May head back to base camp A shorter, but more intense rotation, than for rotation no. 1

Day 30 - rest day at base camp A few highlights from rotation no. 1 1. View from the tent at camp 1 2. Heading from camp 1 to camp 2 3. Me heading down the first ice wall at the top of the Khumbu Icefall

Day 29 - headed back to base camp from camp 2 1. Incredible view from the top of the icefall - this is called the ‘popcorn’ section 2. The seracs in the icefall, are beautiful, but dangerous 3. Hamish negotiating one of the harder ladders in the icefall 2/2

Day 29 - headed back to base camp from camp 2 - the 9km trip took about 7 hours & we descended about 1,250m Despite getting no photos on the way up through the icefall, it was a bit easier today as had a bit more energy 1. Camp 1 looking back towards Nuptse 2. The crevasses are enormous above the icefall 3. Lisa Jelly crossing an icefall ladder - takes acres of concentration, not easy with crampons and mountaineering boots 1/2