It's not quite Kili...

but it's been 3 months since I went on a walking holiday, so I reckon it's about time for another one. All in the name of training, obviously, nothing to do with having fun. So I'm off to the Sierra de Aitana (don't worry, no one I've met so far has ever heard of it either, not even Spanish people) for a week's meandering among the Spanish peaks.

Puig Campana (in the picture) is one of the 5 peaks I'll be climbing. It looks a little scary from here, though it's only 1406 metres. So we'll be doing that before breakfast as a warmup then.

 Shame I haven't got any new equipment to try out, as this would be a good opportunity. But the 8 hour days will be a good test of my current stamina. The final day's climb on Kili is something like 18 hours, so I need to get in some preparation. I've currently been doing only 5-6 hour walks in the Peaks (given the train service and the short winter days), but then again, when there's only 1 or 2 of us, we barely stop for lunch, let alone a break. With a group of 10 or so, the breaks are usually substantially more as you wait for people to catch up.

I'd better get packing. Sod's law, my flight is at 6.30am on Sunday morning, but because the clocks go forward, it's really only 5.30am. I only ever get up this early when sport or adventure are involved! I dread to think what getting up and starting the final ascent of Kili at midnight in the freezing cold and pitch dark is going to be like though. Much mental strength will be needed!