Two friends from Wellington are considering a 175-mile walk from the town to London after trekking to Everest Base Camp and raising about £3,500 for Kidney Research UK.

Paula Wadham and Louise Comper are planning the walk in honour of Paula’s grandfather, Philip Heal, who took part in a Scouts’ journey from Wellington to London in the 1930s.

The friends have been talking about retracing the route, which Paula said may be possible using public paths rather than roads.

She’s been visiting Wellington Library to look for a booklet about the original walk and said she hoped to involve local Scouts.

The pre-War London-bound message was part of an epic military-style challenge: one group of Scouts carried letters, while the other tried to catch them and retrieve the messages.

Paula recalled that her grandfather hid his letter in the heel of his shoe, where it was not discovered.

“I think we might walk to London in his honour,” she said.

The possible adventure follows a recent return from a 17-day trek to the Everest region by Paula and Louise, who have been friends for about ten years - but had not travelled together before this year’s adventure.

Louise had long wanted to visit the region after reading the Jeffrey Archer bestseller ‘Paths of Glory’, Paula said, and invited her to join the trip.

The pair began training by walking together at home. Paula said the experience had left her “still in awe” of the landscape and mountains, and feeling privileged to have made the journey.

Their trip took place against a backdrop of severe weather in Nepal, which saw landslides and thousands of people killed.

“I just said yes, like she’s asked me to go shopping,” Paula said.

Paula said their Nepalese trekking company reassured them that the areas they planned to visit had not been affected by the weather.

She said other trekkers had to abandon or reorganise plans because of avalanches elsewhere, while the company looked after her and Louise throughout their trip.

The pair chose a Nepalese company because they wanted their spending to benefit people in the country, Paula said. She described the hospitality as a highlight.

“I’m still in awe. The landscape, the mountains and the people. I feel very priveleged that we were able to do it,” she said.

The Everest trek was also a chance to support Kidney Research UK. Paula said the cause was personal to Louise: her father received a kidney donated by his brother about 38 years ago and, despite other health problems, his kidneys remain in good condition in his eighties.

The pair’s fundraising total stood at about £3,500 at the time of the interview, with people still asking to donate after hearing their story. Paula said all donations had gone to the charity.

To donate to their fundraiser, search ‘Two Girls, One Everest. Fundraising for Kidney Research UK’ on Justgiving.com

Kidney Research UK estimates that more than three-million people live with the most severe stages of kidney disease in the UK.