We look at the calendar with eager anticipation, but we’re also a little nervous. Our trip to Nepal is only a bit more than two months away. Leah and I agree that it’s time to turn up the intensity of our training hikes.When we trek this fall in the Solo Khumbu (Mt. Everest) region of Nepal, our daily itinerary is planned so that, mountain gods willing, we’ll avoid altitude sickness. Our trek begins in Lukla, 9,200 feet, and our eventual high point, several weeks later, will be 18, 500 feet. Along the way we'll gain, loose, then regain enough elevation so that, mathematically, we will have more than climbed Mt. Everest, but our days are planned so we’ll ascend gradually, giving our bodies a chance to acclimatize.
This is some adventure we have planned.
Gandhi said: “There’s more to life than increasing its speed,” and we try to keep those words in mind, particularly when we’re walking in the mountains. Last evening we hiked a trail to the top of a small peak in the nearby Olympic National Forest. The trail is a meager two miles one-way, but there is a two thousand foot elevation gain (for a trail, that’s a fairly steep grade.) We moved at a steady pace and allowed ourselves time to enjoy the scenery, while also getting a good workout. The views from the top of the mountain were a kind of Pacific Northwest Greatest Hits, the water of Puget Sound off in one direction, the ridges and peaks of the Olympic Mountains in another.
We’re excited about the experiences that might lie ahead for us in Nepal. Last night, though, at home in our local mountains, there was no reason to think about the future. The present was most excellent.
