Gearing up to enter the lair of the snow leopard

Just a fraction of the gear I'm taking, including my favorite hot water bottle, worn boots and those Lecki stocks to take the weight of old knees ;-)

Well Melbourne has finally got it’s summer heat wave, with the last two days being almost 40 degrees. And I’ve just started to put together my gear of thermals, down jackets, sleeping bags and hot water bottle for the Indian Himalaya trip with the Snow Leopard Conservancy next month. Hard to believe that in just over two weeks I’ll be trudging in snow and wishing I was back in this heat wave.

I've discovered these toe warmers made in Japan, I sure hope they work. But how many to take, that's the question?

The team tells me it can get to about minus 25 degrees C which, the thought of which for a summer loving Aussie, is terrifying. Still, it’s during winter that the snow leopards mate and come down into lower altitudes so it may just be the chance of a lifetime to see one.

But I’m not taking chances, this is probably the most gear I have ever packed for a Himalayan trek and I’ve discovered special toe warmers you can put into your boots, I’ve got a dozen…maybe I should have more….maybe I need another hot water bottle, one’s not going to be enough.

Stay tuned…I’ll be writing about the location and the itinerary of the trek over the next few days.