At times like this, a not-quite-so-young-as-he-once-was man's thoughts turn to one thing [4]: am I in any kind of shape to do this?
Fortunately, the last two days have offered me two reasonable tests. Last night Leah scored tickets for the recording of the Christmas edition of "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue" [6] [7], which found me in a long queue for the lifts at Russell Square. It was a golden opportunity to ignore the dire warnings [8] on the stairwell and climb. As far as I can tell, it was a 57m climb up that tightly spiralling stair case. I managed it without stopping, and without getting particularly out of breath.
Not bad. But from the start of the walk to the top of Aconcagua is about 70 times that. That's a 1,053 storey building [10].
So tonight, I hopped on the treadmill in the hotel gym, jacked it up to 15 degrees, and yomped [12] away for 40 minutes at 5 km/h. While carrying a 35lb pack [13] and wearing a cycling mask [14]. Job done.
Feeling a little more confident now. But see footnote [17].
[1] Not that I will be going up the south face, you understand, though one of the early acclimatisation walks will be a trip to see it up close.
[2] Which is, almost to the metre, the highest altitude I have ever reached - at Kala Pattar on my trek to Everest Base Camp. Everything beyond this will be - for me - terra incognita.
[3] If you'd like to follow the weather on Aconcagua, you can do it here. Pretty scary, eh? In theory, it should get better as we get to high (Southern hemisphere) summer in January.
[4] And for once it's not kit. [5]
[5] Though I have ordered a new insulated Camelbak, insulated covers for my water bottles, stuff sacks for, well, stuff, and some skincare stuff. The psychologist in me knows that this is displacement activity, but it's still nice to have new kit.
[6] Very funny, especially the Hamish and Dougal sound charade of "Towering Inferno". Catch it on Christmas Eve if you can.
[7] It was, apparently, the first time that tickets had been allocated by ballot - 19,000 applications for just over 900 seats. Not entirely sure I believe them. Except about the number of seats.
[8] "175 steps! As high as a 15 storey building! Please, for your own sake, wait for the lifts. If you ignore us and climb the stairs, not only will you have only yourself to blame for the consequences, but all the staff will stand around pointing at you and laughing." [9]
[9] I'm pretty sure that's what it said.
[10] Imagine having to wait for that lift [11]
[11] Unless you were Tom Cruise in Mission:Impossible and could just climb up the outside.
[12] Are you old enough to remember yomping? That really dates us both, I'm afraid.
[13] 16 kilos, if we're being consistent. But it sounds like more if I say 35lbs.
[14] In my mind, I was rocking the Tom Hardy look, but in the gym mirrors [15] it was more Tom Lardy
[15] I mean why? Just why? Have you ever met anyone who actually looks good in the gym mirrors? [16]
[16] And if you did, I bet you didn't ask them out. Too self conscious. All those bloody mirrors. [17]
[17] Excessive footnoting is another displacement activity. I guess I'm not really that confident after all.
No comments:
Post a Comment