Model Mia Regan's guide to climbing the Himalayan peaks of Nepal: spicy curries, sunrises and a cuppa en route

Nepal, I have such special memories there from trips in recent years. The people, culture and food are so beautiful. I feel very clear-minded when I am in Nepal, particularly in the mountains. It truly has become such a special place to me. I last went in November, when I summited Mera Peak’s 6,476m with my dad, brother, godfather and some family friends. We were guided by the wonderful Tendi Sherpa and his two colleagues Pasang and Dendi. It was one of the hardest things I have done in my life, but so rewarding. My dad and I hiked Ama Dablam base camp the year prior with Tendi. It was really special bringing my other loved ones to this beautiful place that we had experienced.

I’ve travelled around many tea houses across the Himalayan districts while trekking, and they are all so unique. Some are more basic than others, but they all have delicious food. Dal bhat [a spiced lentil curry, the national dish of Nepal] gets better the higher the altitude! In the evenings after hiking, all the trekkers sit around by the fire, and we play cards, eat our tasty food and relax after the long days. It is really fascinating meeting people from all around the world and sharing stories.

Dal bhat and momos! [Momos are a Nepalese filled dumpling.] I ate dal bhat every day on both trips — it’s my favourite. There’s a spot in Dalston called House of MoMo, and when I landed back in London after my last trip I went straight there because I missed the food already.

Meet up with Tendi and the other wonderful people (and dogs) I have met out in Nepal. I would want to share some food together, then hike to enjoy the views of the Himalayas. When we were climbing Mera Peak we adopted a horde of dogs who joined us every day. Grace [my agent] and I named one of the dogs Honey; she stayed with us up until the last day at base camp. She would sit outside our room waiting for us to wake up in the morning. Tendi said she must have been a mountain guide in a previous life, as she was so loyal and caring towards us — I am a huge dog person, so having the home comfort of adopting the wonderful Honey for our trip was so special.

The flight from Lukla to Kathmandu, on a teeny plane that seats around 10 people. It drives off a really short runway in the middle of Lukla. It feels a bit like a rollercoaster, and the views are amazing. Having said that, it is known as one of the most dangerous flights in the world.

In Nepal, there are so many beautiful corners filled with amazing food — there are too many to count and they aren’t limited to restaurants or tea huts. Sometimes stopping for a cup of tea and a biscuit with locals was the perfect satisfaction. It’s best to set a route or trek with your guide and discover places as you go along.

When I’m in Nepal, my mind is very clear — it’s serious stuff, climbing mountains. But when I’m back in the UK, my favourite place to let my hair loose is in a British field listening to my favourite live music — nothing beats a British festival with my friends and family.

I adore vintage shops for finding great bargains and rare pieces of incredible quality. I did try to do this in Nepal, but was instead distracted by all the local crafts on sale. Always a pack of cards and craft goods local to the country. I got a gorgeous Nepalese yak wool blanket in November, which is my new homeware prized possession.

The mountain air … wherever I can get it. Film camera. I was shooting lots of pictures for a special creative project I have coming out next month, so the camera was always at hand to capture the moment. Resham Firiri by Buddhi Pariyar. Clothing by On — head to toe! It was minus 35 degrees at points overnight so I was very grateful to have many of the brand’s cosy layers to keep me warm.

Luckily no, but the mountains are an extremely volatile place — I was in the safe hands of Tendi Sherpa. He has summited Everest 17 times, has a wealth of knowledge and, most importantly, has a love and respect for the mountains. It is so important to take these trips with care across altitude training and general mountain awareness. Tendi has a charity called Tendi Sherpa Foundation that supports his efforts to develop his village and surrounding areas — it has built bridges for the community to improve transport links and supported education. It’s a project very close to my heart.

My favourite memory was our summit day. We woke up at 1am for our attempt and, after 14 days of trekking, we were excited while also anxious about what we were about to take on. With crampons, harnesses and head torches on, we set off with a belly full of porridge and boiled ice water. We then set off for our seven-hour hike up the ice to summit Mera Peak. We saw the sunrise on the way up — the beautiful orange glow gave us that morale boost for the final stretch. At the summit it was so special to embrace my brother and friends after our incredible achievement. There was one heart-sinking moment when the intense winds blew away our flag, which had been so kindly homemade by my friend Flora. But luckily Tendi went to the rescue and safely retrieved the flag, which will now be a proud possession of mine for life.