Cotswold Painters

Home
United Kingdom
Cirencester
Cotswold Painters

Call Website

Cotswold Painters: Transforming spaces with precision.

Experts in high-end spray finishes and traditional techniques, transforming Cotswold homes and businesses with flawless detail and craftsmanship.

28/10/2026

DAY 11 & 12 | LOBUCHE EAST SUMMIT, 6,119M. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!

GIVE ME 5 MINUTES OF YOUR TIME!!!

This is a long video, but I’d love you to watch the whole thing and see the reality of the hardest physical challenge I’ve ever endured.

Short on time? Skip to the second half for the money shots. The scenery is absolutely mind-blowing!!!

What an unbelievable 48 hours!

First, a brutal 5-hour climb to summit camp, followed by rope training, another bloody curry and a few hours’ sleep before setting off at 1am.

Preparation wasn’t my finest hour. A boiled egg, watery porridge, no packed lunch and I’d forgotten my water! Just 500ml, some Haribo and a Snickers. Brilliant, Steve!!!

What followed was 13 hours of absolute hell!

At times I could barely manage 4 steps before coughing my lungs up and fighting for breath. Thankfully, I wasn’t alone in my suffering, and a few of us managed to have a good laugh along the way.

Climbing in darkness was one thing. Coming down in daylight and seeing those exposed ridges and sheer drops was bloody terrifying!!!

Two toenails lost, a blister the size of my heel and what feels like a couple of stress fractures. Certainly earned that summit!

Back at camp, completely destroyed, I had three choices. A $1,200 helicopter, a shorter walk to Thukla or push all the way to Dingboche.

In for a penny, in for a pound!!!

After a 30-minute kip, somehow found another gear and smashed what should have been a 5-hour walk in 3 hours 40 minutes.

The promise of pizza, chips, a hot shower and a proper toilet works miracles!!!

BUT THIS IS ABOUT MORE THAN CLIMBING MOUNTAINS.

I’m doing this to raise money and awareness for two incredible charities, and , supporting people through some of life’s toughest challenges.

There were moments when every step felt impossible. But knowing why I was there kept me going.

The pain and exhaustion will pass. The difference we can make together can last a lifetime.

Please donate if you can, share if you can’t. Every little bit helps.

The summit was my challenge. Making a difference is the real mission.

25/10/2026

🏔️ EVEREST BASE CAMP. 5,364 METRES. WE MADE IT! 🇳🇵

Some moments in life are worth every single step it takes to get there. Today was one of them.

After days of relentless climbing, freezing mornings, thin mountain air, aching legs and the brutal crossing of Cho La Pass, I finally stood at Everest Base Camp.

Standing beneath some of the highest mountains on Earth, surrounded by towering walls of rock and ice, is something photographs will never truly do justice to. The sheer scale of this place is almost impossible to comprehend.

There have been some tough moments getting here, but they’ve been completely overshadowed by the extraordinary people, landscapes and experiences along the way.

There’s something quite humbling about standing in a place like this. The mountains have a way of reminding you just how small you really are.

But we’re not finished yet.

Everest Base Camp was one goal. Lobuche East and Island Peak are still waiting.

One milestone reached. Two mountains left to climb. Let’s see what I’ve got left in the tank! 💪🏔️

23/10/2026

DAY 7 | GOKYO TO THAGNAK 🏔️

Today was something completely different!

Leaving Gokyo behind, we headed across the mighty Ngozumpa Glacier towards Thagnak. An incredible landscape of rock, ice and towering mountains. It almost felt like walking across another planet.

Plenty of scrambling up loose scree, dodging the occasional falling rock and trying to find a decent bit of ground to put your feet on!

Every day brings something new, and just when you think the scenery can’t get any more spectacular, Nepal proves you wrong.

Now settled in Thagnak at around 4,700m, with tomorrow bringing one of the biggest challenges so far: crossing the Cho La Pass at over 5,400m.

Things are definitely getting a little more interesting! 🏔️

23/10/2026

From plain and understated to bold and beautiful! 🎨

A stunning transformation using Picture Gallery Red, bringing warmth, depth and a completely new character to this room.

Rich, confident colours like this can completely change the atmosphere of a space, especially when paired with beautiful original timber features.

This is just one of many rooms we’re transforming as part of an exciting new project in the picturesque village of Bibury.

Plenty more transformations to come!

Cotswold Painters | Bringing colour and character to the Cotswolds.

22/10/2026

From Nepal to Malmesbury! 🇳🇵🇬🇧

Turns out Cotswold Painters do actually paint buildings, not just disappear off to take pictures of mountains!

While I’m busy climbing mountains in Nepal, the lads are busy moving mountains back home. Many hands make light work!

Our latest commercial project in Malmesbury is well underway. Everything masked up, preparation complete, spraying in progress, and the brush and roller work now kicking off.

A cracking team effort, keeping the standards high and the projects moving while I’m thousands of miles away.

Different heights, same high standards! 💪

Cotswold Painters | Professional Decorating & Spraying

22/10/2026

🏔️ DAY 6 | GOKYO & GOKYO RI

Well, that was a chilly start! 🥶

Minus 9°C, with a wind chill of minus 14°C! Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. Even the brass monkey would have stayed in bed!

Thankfully, once the legs got moving, things warmed up pretty quickly. Before long I was down to my T-shirt, soaking up some of the most incredible scenery I’ve ever seen.

Today’s trek took us towards Gokyo, passing three absolutely stunning turquoise lakes, surrounded by towering snow-covered mountains. The colour of the water against that backdrop was something else. Just spectacular!

After reaching our lodge and grabbing some lunch, you’d think it would be time to put the feet up.

Not a chance! 😂

Instead, we headed up Gokyo Ri for an afternoon acclimatisation climb, reaching just over 5,100 metres!

We started this morning at around 4,400m. On paper, another 700 metres doesn’t sound like much, does it?

Trust me, up here it is!

The air is getting noticeably thinner, the breathing heavier and every step is starting to demand a little more effort. You really begin to appreciate what altitude does to the simplest of things.

But then you look around, take in those views and remember exactly why you’re here.

The higher we go, the harder it gets. But somehow, the views just keep getting better! 🏔️

Another incredible day in the Himalayas. ❤️

21/10/2026

This morning was hard work. Really hard work.

Breathing was difficult, every step forward felt uncomfortable and holding a conversation was almost impossible.

As I slowly made my way up the mountain, it got me thinking.

For me, this is temporary. I know why I’m struggling and I know that eventually things will get easier.

But for so many people, this is what life can feel like every single day. Struggling to breathe, struggling to take that next step and sometimes finding it impossible to talk about what they’re going through.

And that’s why charities like The Lost City, Construction Sport and Band of Builders are so incredibly important.

Because sometimes people need a helping hand to take that next step. Sometimes they need someone to listen. And sometimes they just need reminding that they’re not climbing their mountain alone.

We all have mountains to climb. Not all of them are visible. ❤️

Donate link - https://www.justgiving.com/page/steve-macfarlane-3?utm_medium=FA&utm_source=CL

Address

Cirencester

Telephone

+447480811662

Website

http://www.cotswoldpainters.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Cotswold Painters posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.