Last weekend was the preparatory weekend for the Everest trek in Wales. This consisted of general get to know other participants on the trek I am on; a series of lectures on kit, altitude sickness, trekking hygine, and a slide show showing the route we will be taking up to Everest Base Camp. In addition there was a trek up a Welsh lump which approximated the worst day's trekking that we will do - though of course this was at low rather than at high altitude. All in all it was an enjoyable and worthwhile weekend, and I learnt some things about the adequacy of my kit, and the level of my fitness. I knew I was not as fit as I would wish, but it was a bit of a shock to find that I was not even as fit as I had been kidding myself I was.
One of the couples who are going on the trek following mine, William and Sylvia, were on a trip I made to China and Tibet in 2004. Small world syndrome.
The trip over to North Wales was horrible - taking over two hours longer than I had anticipated, but the weekend was glorious, and the journey back was very good - under four hours including two stops.