Daily Journal
One month to go!
Time is flying by, and in just about a month, I will be getting on a plane and heading to Switzerland for some pre-expedition “training”. The official expedition starts on August 10th, but I will be heading overseas and to the glaciers of the Valais Canton a few days early to get in some practice hikes.
I have worked on extended field expeditions in the past and studied climate change and glaciology in graduate school, so the part I am most anxious about for this trip is the physical part. None of these hikes will be more than a few miles each way, however, the change in altitude over these short distances will be quite drastic. In some instances, we will climb close to 3,000 feet! While I have never experienced altitude sickness, I’m hoping that by going out a few days early, I will have the chance to acclimate myself to the high altitude before the expedition officially begins.
What do I need?
Packing has also begun!
Since my expedition is significantly different from most others (in Europe and not at the poles!), my packing list looks very different from the other PolarTREC teachers.
To learn about what educators, scientists, and researchers typically bring with them to the Arctic and Antarctic, check out the journals by my friends Nell Herman (Antarctica) and Melissa Lau (Arctic).
My packing list looks more like a camping and mountaineering list. Many of these items will be loaned to me and I am excited to receive my package of supplies and gear soon!
This is what my packing list looks like so far:
Good, flexible rain gear
Sturdy and broken in hiking boots (this is probably the most important thing!)
Large hiking pack
Water bottles, filter, and water purification tablets
Waterproof gaiters for hiking
Down vest
Lots of fleece jackets, etc. for layering
Long underwear
Winter hat
Baseball hat
Bandana to cover neck
Lighter work gloves
Quick dry outdoor pants
Sun shirts and other t-shirts
Sunscreen and sunglasses
Hiking socks
Bug spray
Lip balm
Thermos
Small towel
Trekking poles
Medical kit
Personal items and toiletries
Laptop, digital camera, Go Pro
Data drive to back up computer
Cell phone with European data access
Adapter plug
Kindle (I do not go anywhere without a book on hand)
Meet PolarTREC Poppy
Introducing PolarTREC Poppy, who will also be traveling with me on this expedition. Look for her in each journal entry to see what she was up to that day. Here she is helping me to check over my packing list.
Haiku of the Day
Making a list, have
to go through it more than twice
Steep hikes await me
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