Hey everyone -

I haven't been on the forum for a while, since my training focus over the last few months shifted from cycling to hiking, in preparation for a 2 week trek I'm going on in Nepal! I'm very excited and very nervous!

I leave this Friday via Delhi for Kathmandu, and meet up with my pal Mary and the small group we're traveling with on Monday (I get a day to explore Kathmandu on my own before the formal trip starts).

On Wednesday, we fly to Lukla (8700 ft), in NE Nepal, and begin our trek up into the Himalayas on the same trail that leads ultimately to Everest Base camp (but we're not going that far!) The whole trek is about 50 miles and 10,000+ feet of climbing over 8 days of trekking, and the highest elevation we sleep at is 12,900 ft. (For anyone who's really interested, this is the full trek itinerary)

Apparently the flight from Kathmandu to Lukla is a real "experience" - they sound a horn to clear the "landing strip" of grazing yaks and goats when the planes full of trekkers come in, and due to the surrounding peaks, the planes land uphill and takeoff downhill. As a nervous flier, I'll have a pocket full of Xanax!

I've done plenty of hiking down here at sea level to prepare, and some last weekend at 10,000 ft up in the eastern Sierras near Bishop, but there's no doubt it will be a challenging trip. I'm a little worried about injury avoidance - over the last few months, I've battled a sprained ankle (twice!), as well as tendonitis in one foot and plantar fasciitis in the other. But I'm bringing lots of Aleve, and tape and a good ankle brace, and my traveling buddy Mary is good at teasing me, taping up ankles. and reminding me to eat (those of you who have ridden with me know how hard it is for me to keep myself fueled on long rides - turns out it's even harder when hiking at altitude!)

I get back on October 21st, and I'll check in to let you know how it went! I've read that there is an internet cafe in Namche, where we spend a few days to acclimatize, and I imagine any communication from me at the point would just be a quote from Monty Python's "Holy Grail": "I'm not dead yet!"

As a student of Buddhism, it is an incredible thrill to visit this part of the world, and as an amateur photographer, the chance to see and photograph the landscapes and people there is really going to be a treat. And mostly, just walking along these trails, meeting the people and (hopefully talking to them, if I can improve my Nepali!) will be something I'll never forget.

Oh, and I'm taking my AV buff along, and I'll get a shot of the Amici Veloci colors flying with Mt. Everest in the background, in honor of all you guys who have climbed virtual "Mt. Everests" on your bikes!

So - has anyone done anything like this before? Any tips for a newbie trekker?