Diary

 I have never been one to keep a diary or journal. I have written a few different blogs over the years documenting events in my life.  I will be documenting here where I am at in my journey, what I am doing to reach my goals and what I need to do to reach my goals. 

So, my goal is to travel to Nepal in the Autumn of 2026. I want to spend at least one month doing volunteer work most likely either in Kathmandu or Pokhara. When that wraps up I want to hike the Everest Base Camp trek. It is a fourteen day trek that starts in Lukla - elevation 9200 feet and goes up to Gorak Shep and the Everest Base Camp at 17,602 feet. I also hope to go up to the top of the nearby Mount Kalapatther at 18,193 feet . The views of Everest, Nuptse and Changtse are spectacular from Kalapatthar and there are glimpses of the northern flank and summit of Lhotse. 

While I love mountains and seeing Everest is top of my bucket list, the trip is about so much more than that. It is seeing and experiencing the people and culture of Nepal. It is also about being in one of the most amazing places in the world. It is about facing the challenge of preparing for this trip and the journey that training will lead me on and of course the journey itself to Nepal. It is proving to myself that I can do this!

Training, I have to focus on training. In my research they say start preparing six to twelve months out by hiking, regularly and on several days consecutively. Work out on a treadmill and stair stepper to prepare for the inclines. Well I have started with baby steps and am hiking on the weekends, short hikes of about an hour. I will increase these gradually. I am hoping by this time next Spring to go to Cloudcroft/Lincoln Forest to do daily hike of three to five miles at 9000 feet elevation. I hope to do those regularly until my target of Autumn 2026 to go to Nepal. I have over three years to train. I know I can do it as long as I can avoid the "what if's" ( injury, illness and money). 

I CAN DO THIS!!!