Hi friends!  We are currently getting acclimated to the craziness that is India.  I can already tell it is going to be exhausting at times, but think I will enjoy it a lot.  However, this post is not about India.  This post is about the fact that we’ve officially signed up to complete the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) Trek in the Himalayas which is 10 days long and will start 30 days from today!

After India, our plan has always been to go to Nepal and we decided a while back that we should definitely do a trek while there.  We did some research and there are so many different treks to choose from, some more difficult and longer than others.  After much debate, we decided we should splurge and go big (but not too big, some treks are like 20+ days).

You may be thinking we are crazy (I know I am), but I don’t know when or if I will be back to Nepal and decided it is now or never.  I have never completed anything like it, the closest I’ve come are a couple of short treks that we’ve done as part of this world tour of ours.  I am definitely nervous about it.  It is going to be hard physically and mentally and we haven’t exactly been working out regularly either.

So the point of this post is to announce our goal and hold us accountable for getting ready for it.  For the next 30 days, we are going to start working out regularly.  The game plan is to focus on core and lower body strengthening (planks, squats, lunges, etc) and cardio (running, climbing stairs and hills).  We also will start walking a lot more as we sightsee.  I need to get used to being on my feet for long periods of time (like when I was a waitress), break in some new hiking boots (yet to purchase), and start carrying a backpack around to get used to the extra weight on my shoulders.

We are somewhat limited on how much we can focus and train physically since we are travelling from city to city and it is super hot here, but my goal is to try and do something physical 5-6 times a week with rest days being travel days.  This may or may not include yoga, since I plan to take some yoga/meditation classes while in India as well.

Anyways, in short I don’t want to be a complete B on our trek and though it will be tiring no matter how much we train, a little bit should help me to enjoy it more and not bite off Hoch’s head.  Now, I just need to do some research on clothing to bring so that I am warm enough.  It is going to be COLD up there and I am dreading that part a bit!

Until next post!

Kimberly

P.S.  The picture was sent to me from our future trekking guide.  It is a sunrise shot from the ABC camp!

Hoch – she’ll be fine.