First bootcamp session last night. It wasn’t so bad – I think it was just the fitness assessment session so we weren’t pushed too hard. (Hard enough I might add). There are six of us plus the instructor. I am 15-20 years older than any of the others, and by far the most unfit. They are all gym regulars and they all know each other. They were great though, egging me on to do my best. I know I am unfit and wasn’t suprised to be the most unfit – I would have expected it even amongst non gym regulars. As an indication, we jogged 2km on hilly terrain. It took me 15 minutes! The next slowest did it in 10 minutes 
Pretty slow huh? But this doesn’t faze me at all – the reason I’m doing it is because I want to kick start my fitness.
Jogging, pushups, situps, lunges, squats and other things I’ve never even heard of! Cardio and resistance training. I imagine it will get tougher. At least it didn’t rain during the session – but the grass was wet for the pushups and situps. Doing it all out doors in winter is part of the appeal for me I must say. (We are not talking really cold here – we have maximums of around 16C (60F) at the moment so it was maybe 12C (53F)).
But, I have seen THE trip I would LOVE to do. I don’t think it will be possible as it is very expensive but it gives me a goal to strive for. The trip is to remote Ladakh in the Indian Himalayas to search for snow leopards with the Founder-Director of the Snow Leopard Conservancy. I am totally in love with snow leopards ever since I saw them in Darjeeling last year. This trip would be a dream come true. I’ve always fancied visiting Ladakh as well. In fact if my Tibet trip hadn’t eventuated last year I was going to go to Ladakh instead. This trip is in winter, camping in tents at temperatures of -20C (-4F). For that you need stamina and fitness. The day treks to look for the snow leopards are not too arduous in themselves – it is just the altitude and the cold that make it difficult.
Wild remote places, snow leopards, adventure holiday, winter in the Himalayas… if I had the money I would sign up in a flash. This trip is in 2009, I only hope they run another one in 2010 – I may be able to save up for it then. It would cost over AU $6,000 with airfares – all for less than three weeks away from home. That is a lot of money, and I can’t justify it as yet with my mortgage to pay. And I still do want to go to Darjeeling again around the time of the Aries full moon (usually April) one of these years. So many places to go, not enough money to go there…
However, one thing I can do is take care of the fitness aspect and this I am now doing. So when the opportunity does arise to go on a wilderness adventure I will be ready.
Sound great! I love to run, (and bike and swim, and hike.)
12 minute miles is what I usually do when I have not been running for a long time. Just keep going and in a few weeks you will get the muscles and cardio vascular system that you need to do more, and have more fun.
I have dreamed of high altitude trekking but have not managed it yet. There are no really high mountians in the US.
Does it have to be Winter in the Himalyas? Even summer is often deadly cold when you get up high. It is not only a matter of physical strength. My understanding is that survival up high requires experience, intelligence and luck. If you ascend too fast you get altitude sickness (even if in good physical condition). If you miss-judge the weather then you can get stuck in a deadly storm. If you do not know how to act on ice and snow then then you can slide 1000 feet down a mountain side. If you do not bring the right equipment then you die of exposure. If you get lost, you die. If you make any mistakes, you die. ( I can hardly resisit the challange.) I guess that an experienced and intelligent guide would be a big help.
How high are the mountains where you live?
Keep up the good work!
Hi Mossy, there are no high mountains in Australia either. But I did spend two weeks at altitude in Tibet last year with no adverse effects. i was as high as 5,200m there – the Ladakh trip doesn’t get that high. Yes it appears winter is the best time to spot the snow leopards. It is with experienced guides and a snow leopard expert who has been doing this stuff since at least the 80s so I reckon he’ll know what he’s doing.
Anyway, it is a dream only… it is realistically too expensive for me to do and as it is a one-off trip I doubt I’ll manage it at all. I notice another outdoor adventure company runs similar trips but without the world expert (which is a huge drawcard).
Drawcard? does that mean it’s substantially cheaper and therefore more ‘tempting’ as you feel it may be within reach? Or does it just mean Drawback?
Anyway I think I’d die with winters so mild – only 12C-16C? that’s warm!
But it’s good to hear that the start of it hasn’t put you off – you keep going (but don’t be silly).
Free, the trip without the expert is slightly shorter and slightly more expensive than the trip with the expert! I’d rather go with the expert for sure but it is a one-off. So perhaps in a year or two, if the other company still run their trips I could go on one of those.
Yeah we don’t get very cold here in Adelaide. It never gets below freezing. Every ten years or so we’ll get a bit of snow on our highest peak – Mt Lofty (which isn’t very lofty at all at 750m). The snow doesn’t lie on the ground long, usually it melts as soon as it hits the ground. But loads of people swarm up to see it.
I am really feeling my thigh muscles today and I think tonight’s session is going to be much tougher on me than Monday night. Walking downhill this morning, and going upstairs last night was painful
But I am determined to persevere, aching muscles or not.
Oh well, I guess a South Pacific Cruze will have to do. Maybe I should rent that movie since I am probably not going to be going anywhere for some time.
I think that it does not matter so much how high you go but how fast you assend. I guess that 5000 meters is not too risky, in the summer, but I would definately want the expert guide if I did it in the winter.
Let us know how boot-camp is progressing.
Mossy, there will definitely be expert guides along on the trip – I wouldn’t go otherwise. I may like adventure but I also value my life and limbs