Hey guys! This is my first post in July! Below are my weekly updates on my Everest Base Camp prep including my physical training, the gear I’ve acquired this week, and my thoughts and emotions at this point as we are about two months until the trip!
Here we go…
Fitness
Sun 7/1 – Taught RPM
Mon 7/2 – Taught RPM
Tues 7/3 – Upper body weights
Weds 7/4 – 3 mile treadmill run, 20 min core work
Thurs 7/5 – 3.5 mile walk after work
Fri 7/6 – Full body weight machines
Sat 7/7 – 6 mile hike
I had a full week of workouts with no real rest days, but overall it was a well balanced week of training. I taught my normal RPM classes on Monday and Tuesday which were surprisingly full considering the holiday. I also wandered on a treadmill for the first time in a looong time. I ran a solid 3 miles without worrying about pace. It felt amazing!
I had only two weight sessions this week which is an accomplishment in itself. I always struggle to focus on strength training. My goal going forward is three weight sessions per week. We’ll see what happens!
My week ended with a beautiful 6 mile hike at my local state park. My friend Sarah and I hit the park early before the sun got too hot and before the weekend warriors showed up and crowded the trails.
Gear
Oh man, in writing this post, I had to go back and review my order histories because its starting to get difficult keeping it all straight! I definitely took advantage of some of the holiday sales for the 4th of July. (Happy Birthday, America!) Here are some of my big wins over the past week:
Duffle bag
Ok, this might sound silly but I’m super excited about my new duffle. I purchased the North Face 95L duffle to hold pretty much all the stuff I will bring to Nepal. The duffle will be carried by Sherpas and yaks up the trail. Thankfully, we don’t have to lug these up the mountain…
My plan it to check this bag on my international flight. It will hold most of my gear and my daypack. I’ll also bring a smaller rolling suitcase as my carry-on for the flights. When on the trek we are able to leave a bag at our hotel in Katmandu with anything we don’t want to bring on the trail. I’m thinking that I’ll rearrange my luggage once we arrive in Katmandu and leave the rolling suitcase at the hotel with a fresh change of clothes for the last few days of the trip and the travel home.
Water Filter
Per the recommendation of one of our guides, I purchase this Sawyer water filtration system. This little baby will hopefully keep me healthy along the way. The water in Nepal is not drinkable unless your local, so we will need to filter all our water. I’ll use this particular filter with the water bladder in my daypack. I will also bring a second way to filter water as a plan B in case this system fails me. Not going to lie, I’m pretty freaked out at the idea of getting sick and still having to hike!
Sleeping Bag Liner
This might sound strange, but we will be renting sleeping bags for the trek. While we are not truly camping, we are also not staying in five star hotels. Along the trail we’ll be staying in local teahouses, or lodges. The teahouses are big part of the local economy as they house all the tourists, hikers, and climbers who come to the area. The teahouses are basically a local hostel where we will eat and sleep, and the bed situation will be pretty rudimentary. Like, a cot. The higher up we get the colder it will be and the teahouses are not well heated. Having a good sleeping bag will be essential. I don’t necessarily want to drop the money on a fancy sleeping bag just for this trip, so I will be renting. That being said, I have invested in a sleeping bag liner to keep the sleeping bag clean from the stinky hot mess I will for sure be. And to keep me clean from whatever this rented sleeping bag might be. 🙂
Emotions
This week I was able to check off some major gear needs and I had a wonderful 6 mile hike on Saturday. I’m feeling good!! Now that I’ve acquired a few more key pieces of gear (ahem, water filter) I’m feeling a little more put together, however I’m not done completely. The 6 mile hike I did on Saturday was pretty fantastic. Training outside and in the gym has me feeling good about my fitness at this point.
Overall, I’m feeling really focused. I’m still enjoying the summer, but I’ve got Everest prep goals always in the back of my mind.