Trip of a Lifetime is here - Himalayan Trip

Well in two days I am off to the Himalayas in India. I won this trip from Marmot and the dZi foundation and have been counting the days. For me this is a trip that I have dreamed of since I was a kid, when the days of climbing was not about how many carbs where you eating but how many beers you could drink. I remember meeting Don Whillans before he died and what an amazing climber he was and how some of my friends still could not climb like him and that is how I started climbing and still carries over to this day.

This is my 40Th year and I made it this far which amazes me through some of the mis- adventures I have been through.

I fly to India on May 18th and then fly to Leh which everyone tells me is an amazing flight over the Himalayas. We then stay for a day in Leh as we fly in at 11,000ft and then we are off for 3 days by jeep to tour the area that people just never get to see. After that we are volunteering in a clinic for 3 days which will truly be amazing to give something back. Then we start the big trek that starts in:

Chilling in the Ladakh Range, try googleearth.com its cool. Then we hike through the Markha valley to places like Kaya, Chalak and over to 16,500ft to Hangkar and finally ending in Hemis. Wow is all I can say.





Chilling, Start of the trek








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Gear Review - Trekking Poles

Well as I continue the final count down to the Himalayas in May, I am gathering the outdoor gear I am taking with me as well as the person I am taking with me. I and my guest are taking different styles of trekking poles so it will be interesting on what the end result will be at the end of our Himalayan adventure.


I am taking the Black Diamond Contour Compact Trekking Pole:



I am taking the Black Diamond Contour trekking poles because they are compact and will fit into my travel duffle. Besides that, after trying them out a few times the Contour's are light and the 15 degree angle is really nice with a non slip foam grip that even after a days hiking did not make me sweaty. I feel comfortable with the Black Diamond Flick Lock system and the binary system on the lower half and find them easy to use.



My Guest is taking Life Link Guide Ultra Light trekking pole:


My guest is taking the Life Link Guide Ultra Light trekking poles because they to, are light and have a foam grip handle. The concerns my guest has with the Black Diamond is the flicklock system and will it hold up in the Himalayas and take a good beating. But the Life Link Guide Ultra Light trekking poles also have moving parts so we will see which pair hold up to our test.

Next week's review will be down jackets for the Himalayas.

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