Leh
Two days in Leh before you go any higher
Thin air, a slow walk to the market and why the first two days are empty.
The road so far
Every stop, newest first
Each letter is one stage of getting ready, from the first training week to the first night up high.
LehWhat goes in the top of the pack
The short list I reach for first, and the heavy things that stay at the bottom.
LehStairs with a loaded pack, four weeks out
Twenty minutes up and down with a few bottles of water on my back.
Below the passWhy we turn back at the first bad headache
The one rule on the trail that I never bend, and how I say it kindly.
- Leh
Boots that fit before you pack anything else
Toes, heels and a thick sock: what I check in a shop and on a hill.
Indus valleyPlanning days that are not too far or too high
How I cut a route into days that a tired person can still walk.
Kitchen tentTea, soup and water: eating well when you are high
What the kitchen tent serves at five in the morning, and why it works.
- Leh
Eight weeks out: one plain training week
Walking, stairs and one long day, with a rest day in the middle.
Indus valleyWalking past a chorten and a line of prayer flags
Which side to pass on, and why we do not step over the flags.
- Leh
Choosing the month: when the passes are open
What the weather does from June to October, and what I would choose.
Every Sunday
Before the Pass
A short letter every Sunday from Leh: one thing about getting ready, one thing to pack and one thing to practise.
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