Preparations

My plan for training was simple: Walk as much as possible. I started out just walking with a full camelback, then gradually added more weight until my small day pack was full. Meanwhile I did some research for a new backpack and single person tent. Also, I had never used trekking poles before, but Markus made a good case for them. I got a pair of Black Diamond poles and added them to my training walks, to my surprise shortening by about 10% the time it took to complete my usual routes. Once my new pack arrived I started packing it with real gear — sleeping bag & pad, tent, first aid bag, and clothing (and 2 liters of water). Over time I added other items I'd be carrying, like the guide book, some maps, flashlight, small towel, camera, protein bars, and eventually a 5 lb bag of sugar (a proxy for the food I'd be carrying). By the end of April I was carrying about 25 lbs.

In addition to the Cicerone guide I wanted to have some good maps. The IGN Top 25 maps are very detailed, and beautiful to boot. In hindsight they were extraneous, but they helped me get my bearings before the trip and I'm glad I have them now just to look at.

One of my best purchases was a pair of prescription sunglasses. I've never really worn sunglasses before because I can't see without my normal glasses, and those clip-on shades are just lame. If you wear glasses like me — from the time you wake up until the time you turn out the light at night — and you haven't gotten prescription shades, drop everything and get some now.

Because I was going to be away on my daughter's birthday, and also because I don't own a cell phone, I rented a satellite phone. It was a bit heavier than I would have liked, but for various reasons I'm glad I took it.

Also during this time I used some French language CDs to try to learn some basic French.

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