Editing and Shopping

Update 3

Hmmm. Everything about this Challenge is a challenge.

FWIW, writing and publishing this blog is itself quite difficult. It plays on my mind.
On the one hand, it is by definition about me and my preparations, but it shouldn't be, and I don't want it to be, about ME. Rather, it should be about (as in its objective) supporting the pioneering efforts of the people trying their hardest to give hope through effective treatments to the desperate patients who are suffering from debilitating kidney disease. So, getting the balance in what I write right, and engaging with you lovely people and getting the message across in a fun way is my challenge. How my story reads is important. Hence, the need to keep editing. Please bear with me and forgive me if I don't get it right, first time. I am, as most people know, trying.

With that off my chest, I promised to give an update on Shopping.

Here's the shopping challenge:

To reach the summit safely, you need to have the clothing and equipment that will help, and not hinder. Yet everything is limited by weight and volume. 
In essence, there are three phases for your kit: what you carry up the mountain on any given day, what the porters carry, and what you leave at the hotel whilst you are away gallivanting.

The limit for the porters is a strict 15kg. You are advised not to carry much more than 10-12kg, and what you leave at the hotel is anything else that you don't absolutely need during your week on the mountain.
Thus it is that if you are just an ordinary townie like me, you need to acquire just about everything that the organisers decide are 'required'. 

There is an option of renting just about everything from local suppliers out there, but the rates are not much lower than the cost of buying here from places like EBay, and you still have to test and match size, volume and weight, so I'm buying not renting.

Boots, in particular, are a special, crucial and personal item. I already have a couple of newish pairs of boots for dog walking these parts, but neither gives the quality of grip and ankle support that's likely to be necessary. Curiously, I found a review of my Berghaus Hillmaster gtx boots by a guy who routinely treks Alpine trails and his review was along the lines of "they are very comfortable, but if it's wet, they'll try to kill you". Point made.

That review was comparing the Hillmasters with  Salewa Rapace. No, I'd never heard of them, either. But he raved over them, and further enquiry suggested they were indeed very good, comfortable and effective for just what I am attempting. The rrp was some £320 a pair but several outfitters are quoting around £240.

Imagine my delighted shock, therefore when I found some on Amazon; my size, for £125! Surely this was too good to be true? But I ordered them, expecting to find that the error would quickly be found and that therefore they were out of stock. I nervously checked time and again to see if it was a scam and my money was gone, but No. They were being packed. They were being delivered. They were here! Yellow laces (to match my socks) and all!

Meanwhile, the price on Amazon had immediately after my order gone back to the £240 everyone else was charging. Spooky. 

And....... the boots are amazing. I'm carefully breaking them in, but they have already proven their comfort, grip and support on the Ben Lomond and other treks, so I'm delighted.

Remember that not only are there the constraints of weight and volume, but the quality still needs to match the conditions. Primark? Maybe not.

For example, there are no shower blocks on the mountain, and the weather can go from equatorially hot and humid with tropical sun and rain, to wind and driving rain or strong, freezing winds and snow. Meanwhile, the one stage that is the most difficult and ultimately important part of the ascent to the summit comes at the end of a brutal day, when the extreme altitude combines with a midnight start in freezing conditions and accumulated tiredness to provide a pretty strong test of mental and physical fitness and resolve. That brutal, horribly exhausting, but potentially exhilarating summit stage emphasises the importance of having been able to sleep well enough -  which will require a high quality, very efficient sleeping bag, thermal mat ......... and earplugs.

Meeting those exacting demands isn't cheap. To get the wearable lightweight warmth that also wicks away perspiration (and minimise odours) needs base and mid layers of merino wool, a goose-down puffer jacket and sleeping bag, oversized but lightweight rain jacket (to cope with warm layers beneath) a  correctly fitting rucksack and sturdy walking poles. Your socks need to be the best to cope with long days of uneven walking while avoiding blisters, and all outerwear needs to be wind and waterproof with hand, head and face protection for all the elements.

Fortunately, the best time to buy such polar suitable stuff as cheaply as possible is in the summer ie now!

This project has only been active for a few weeks, but I'm delighted to have managed to acquire all the major and most of the minor elements. Once they have all arrived, I'll practice pack them for weight and volume testing and trial them as part of my training to ensure their effectiveness. Look out for some snazzy pics.