Three months to go

Three months from today I should be setting off from Hendaye, with 800km of Pyrenees ahead of me.

Right now though, nothing could seem further from reality. As a result of a stupid snowboarding accident I’m sitting in a bar in Aspen with a broken rib. The doctor here thought I might have damaged my liver as well, but luckily $3k worth of CAT scan has shown that all is well. Apparently the ribs should be back to normal in 6 weeks or so.

In two weeks I’m going under the knife to have a hernia sewn up too! I’ve been postponing that for about 18 months, but finally decided it would be sensible to get it fixed before isolating myself in the mountains (and while I still have medical insurance!). If all goes well, the incision should be fully healed up by the beginning of May.

As well as some great powder, Aspen has an exellent outdoor shop called Ute Mountaineer, so I’ve spent several hours in there eyeing up kit and discussing things with the staff. I still have loads of decisions to make, including choosing a tent and a stove, but I’ve picked up an X-Mug and a cool lightweight spork.