THE Walking With The Wounded expedition climbed to an altitude of more than 4,000m today on their way to Mount Everest Base Camp.

Six days into their 10-day hike, the five injured soldiers reached the milestone as the landscape became more barren and the temperature dropped.

Martin Hewitt, Captain David Wiseman, Captain Francis Atkinson, Private Jaco van Gass and Karl Hinett were all wounded while serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.

They will attempt to reach the 8,848m summit of the world's highest mountain in May.

At 13kms, today's walk was the longest so far. The team left Phortse (3,810m) in bright sunshine and immediately started climbing a steep hill.

Once at the top they followed a path carved into the mountainside, with a sheer drop into the valley on their right hand side.

The clear weather meant the group had stunning views of the Himalaya's daunting peaks.

Pte van Gass, who lost his left arm in a blast from a rocket propelled grenade in Helmand Province in 2009, said: "Today was one of the nicer days - the scenery was amazing."

Speaking in Pheriche (4,240m), their base for the next two nights, he added: "The excitement is building up in me. It's a mixture of excitement, and I am a little bit nervous, which is good.

"Nerves will keep me grounded so I don't do stupid things."

Describing the changes in the landscape, the 25-year-old paratrooper from Middleburg in South Africa, said: "As we are heading up we can see the terrain is getting more barren, it's more rocky and dusty.

"There are no trees around any more and the towns are getting smaller as well.

"It all adds to the sense we are getting further and further up towards the hill."

The team managed to catch a glimpse of their eventual target, but clouds around the windswept Everest summit hindered the men from getting a clear view.

Pte van Gass said: "Coming around a corner and having a view of Everest was incredible.

"You get a sense of the sheer vastness and how big these mountains are."

Mr Hewitt, 31, from Widnes in Cheshire, Capt Wiseman, 29, from Tadcaster in North Yorkshire, Capt Atkinson, 31, from Swindon in Wiltshire and former Private Hinett, 25, from Tipton in the West Midlands are all on "good form", Pte van Gass said.

"We are acclimatising to the altitude well and there are no complaints with headaches or nausea.

"The team's looking very fit and there's a good atmosphere around all the blokes."