GRAHAM Napier is back up to full fitness and ready for yet another action-packed winter.

The Essex all-rounder spent his last off-season climbing Mount Everest before heading off to New Zealand and Dubai to play for the game he loves.

Back then, Napier was just another county journeyman struggling to cement his place in Essex’s County Championship side.

But then the Twenty20 Cup came around and, literally overnight, the 28-year-old became a household name.

June 24 was the day everything changed as Napier smashed a world record 16 sixes in a brutal innings of 152 not out from just 58 balls against Sussex at Chelmsford.

From that evening onwards, he was in high demand with everyone from the world’s media to county captain Mark Pettini, who rewarded Napier with a place in Essex's four-day side.

Napier responded with a match-winning performances in the Friends Provident Trophy semi-final and Twenty20 Cup quarter-final wins over Yorkshire and Northants before following that up with career-best figures of 6-103 against Glamorgan at Southend.

Unfortunately, an ankle ligament injury suffered in the NatWest Pro40 decider at Kent ended Napier’s season a fortnight early, but he is now fully recovered and ready for a non-stop off-season.

First, Napier is representing England at the Hong Kong Sixes in Kowloon on November 8 and 9.

From there, he will jet to New Zealand to spend the winter playing alongside former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming for the Wellington Firebirds.

Finally, Napier will join his Essex team-mates for their annual pre-season trip to the Middle East.