This is now the period when time starts flying by before departure on 30th March morning!  This week-end was a rare one with beautiful weather here in the Lakes, and I managed to get out on the fells twice. The views were particularly superb on crisp,frosty days with blue sky and little wind, and it felt good to be alive. I have a very dodgy back nowadays, and a recent flare up left me doubtful of the wisdom of some hours in the hills, but I gambled and got away with it.

  Though my fitness never satisfies me these days, I was gratified to overtake throughout the day, and not be overtaken, as it were, which is the best I can hope for at this stage. Going downhill, as ever, is more problematic than going up! There are many small things to sort out before too long, as I intend to send a barrel out to Kathmandu with things in for base-camp...an act of faith if ever there is one. It's quite magical to arrive at base-camp in mid-April to find your barrel awaiting,courtesy of airplane,helicopter and yak. Henry assures me he's "hardly ever" lost anything in transit, but as you send out altitude boots,crampons and down suit one can't help but think of the consequences of loss etc. Ah well. One of many acts of trust required on the way to this goal.

   I expect to add re-hydration drinks(probably SIS again), which are essential to revive both flagging palates and muscles on the mountain, along with many AAA and AA batteries for torches and mp3 players.....I prefer the latter to be non-rechargeable types, as it gets such a hassle to keep everything charged up(camera,video,pda,satphone), and I just LOVE my music. I'm a relatively poor sleeper, and there are many long,long nights on these trips,where music is invaluable. I admit to enjoying listening when walking in at times, if not in company or conversation, of course.I think I'll try having some music high on the mountain this time(though not, of course in the ice-fall, where all senses are needed). It felt strange last time on summit night without the distraction of favorite songs, almost naked. I think it'll help through that long night of ascent above the South Col. We shall see.

   I'm off work next week, and hope to use that time for more fitness work, mostly up and down hills. I'm terribly aware that many would-be summiteers devote much more time and energy to physical training than I have ever managed, embarassingly so for me, but I can only fit in what I can in my complex life,what with work,sons and my bad back!

  I'm grappling with the mechanism of building up this site, and hope to improve my presentation and thoughts with time, along with mastery of which photos to add, and where. It's all jolly clever.