The news of the enormous avalanche on Everest which killed 16 Sherpa guides and the consequent walkout among their colleagues because the government’s compensation was only around £240 per victim led to Jeremy Clarkson commenting on how difficult it is to be an intrepid explorer these days. Indeed, an all-out strike would leave around 330 fee-paying western climbers stranded at base camp.

Meanwhile, I’ve been researching the latest in travel innovations for a feature and I couldn’t agree more with Jeremy (for once) that ‘expeditions are getting more and more bonkers.’ Take non-profit organisation Mars One: they aim to establish a permanent human settlement on Mars. They’re not short on candidates either. Globally, some two million hopefuls have so far applied to the one-way trip to Mars in 2024.

Flying cars are looking rather more feasible. Dutch company PAL-V [Personal Air and Land Vehicle] Europe NV concluded their test flights last year. CEO and co-founder Robert Dingemanse kindly took my cheeky final interview question – ‘Can I get a test drive?’ – seriously. ‘Not until 2016 once the commercial version has type certification.’ I can wait.

So what else is new in the world of travel? Hotels are continuing to make social media a big part of their marketing strategy (Mayfair’s The Atheneum has appointed a Tweeter in Residence while the W Hotels chain has launched a €3,000 Social Media Wedding Concierge); Super successful pad-crashing service Airbnb aims to offer a cleaning service to their proprietors; 3D printing technology will soon be keeping us in the air (Airbus and Rolls Royce are investing in the machines); and Four Seasons is launching its own jet next year.

Which brings me back to the 4,000 or so people who have climbed Mount Everest. Okay, it’s tough to discover unknown territory. Mount Everest is pretty doable with the help of a Sherpa or two and £5,900 in permit fees (on top of the expedition costs). And if I had $119,000 and 24 days to spare, I’d book myself on the Four Seasons’ Around The World private jet experience for a bit of golden age travel-style grandeur…

As the saying goes, ‘When preparing to travel lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half your clothes and twice as much money.’