Only 23 days to go and every day I am getting more excited to start the expedition. Last news I heard, we are 15 climbers to attempt Baruntse and 4 climbers who will climb Mera Peak. In the meanwhile training continues: nowadays mostly mountainbiking, puts less stress on the tendons and joints than running and has the same output in the end and at the same time you train the calves, quadriceps and abdominals. This doesn't mean I don't like a good run from time to time. Nothing beats running and still gives the biggest satisfaction. Just yesterday I did an interval training, it hurts but feels great ;-)
I have the most of my gear except my downsuit but I ordered that custom made in Nepal, only need to pick it up in Kathmandu. Sleeping mats I buy locally instead of dragging them half around the globe and I will probably buy a new Ice axe and donate my old one to a Sherpa.
Now comes the more difficult task of choosing my snack food. During the whole preparation phase and in fact my whole lifeI lead a healthy lifestyle and foodstyle but on the mountain forget it. Up there you need all the energy you can get in whatever form. On the mountain the best way to fill up the lost energy and you loose a lot, up to 6000 Kcal daily, is by eating crap: sweats, chocalate, cookies, cheese, sausages, powerbars,........... things I usually don't eat but up there.....he no hard feelings