Nearly there

With just over 48 hours before kick off, my biggest concerns are:

• Remembering not to forget anything 
• Remembering not to take too much
• Fear that my feet will become trashed with blisters after Day 1

Every time I've done a long hike with a tent my feet have been agony after a couple of days. I've done a bit of reading, and perhaps the best way forwards is to tape my toes with duct tape right from the start.

http://www.fixingyourfeet.com/Taping-for-Blisters.html

I'll practice tonight to see if I can wrap my toes with duct tape, without causing lumpy bits that dig in.

It would be nice to avoid the mind-blowing, excrutiating foot pain I suffered when hiking the GR11 and GR20.

Normally I get blisters on my smallest 2 toes on each foot by the end of Day 2, which then become very painful for the rest of the trip.

I'm not sure if the type of sock makes much difference?

Still to do:

• Get currency
• Charge camera batteries and check out extra xD card
• Investigate spare mobile phone battery
• Add new headtorch batteries
• Test duct tape theory, and possibly get more duct tape.

Final Preparations

Not long now before leaving for the HRP. 4 days and counting...

I'm more or less ready and organised, pending the usual last minute decisions.

I'm taking 2 extra things compared with the GR11 - the Camp Corsa ice axe and Kahtoola Microspikes - hence I'm trying to lose weight in other areas. I've chopped off the cover of the Cicerone Press guidebook, which loses 100g, and I've bought some titanium tent pegs, which saves another 100g. Also I'm not taking a stove or pan, which saves space and weight.

All my maps are colour photo-copied double-sided onto waterproof A4 paper. I will dispose of these en route, and likewise I will cut down the guide book as I go with a penknife, until there's nothing left of it.

I will probably leave the ice axe behind, or give it to someone travelling in the opposite direction, rather than carrying it all the way.

My biggest concern is not really knowing what the weather will be like, and whether I'll be much more exposed to the elements on the Haute Route compared with the GR11. I'm expecting the route finding and terrain to be slighty more challenging. I might buy another compass since mine was behaving very oddly at the Arrochar Alps race on Saturday.

Other things to do before leaving on Friday:

• Get more euros
• Re-proof and seal tent and groundsheet
• Fine tune first aid stuff and blister plasters
• Resealable A4 bags and freezer bags
• Change in euros for Airport bus to Hendaye (via St Jean de Luz)
• New socks?
• Put new batteries in headtorch
• Take spare duct tape
• Camera - charge 2 batteries. Lens cloth. Take extra xD card?