It’s still a long time before my expedition on Denali starts. But, doing nothing now simply is not an option. Read all about my current progress here: Prepping for Denali: 6 months to go.

Physical preparation

Winter is the hardest time for me to keep in shape. Nights are long, it often rains and temperatures are low. This currently forces me to mainly focus on core stability in my workouts. You can read all about my current training schedule here.

Focusing on core stability has a price; I cannot put the desired amount of time in endurance training. For know, I’m not to worried about that. When days get longer (and hopefully less cold), I will pick up cycling again.

Equipment

It’s always fun to get new stuff for mountaineering. Because of this, I have been following the biggest outdoor shops in Europe to find the best prices available. My main guideline for buying equipment is the gear list of Alpine Ascents.

Remember, the Dutch Sinterklaas helped a lot!

	MSR Double-wall insulated mug. This mug will let me enjoy a nice warm cup of tea on the glacier. It’s not that big, but is easy to grab. Even wearing gloves or mitts.
	Petzl Ascension Handle. One of the hardest days on Denali I’ll be climbing Headwall. This is a 45 to 50 degrees climb. I will do this belayed using the ascender. I trust I will make it with this golden one!
	Therm-a-rest Z-lite SOL. Apparently, sleeping on my Neoair X-lite will not keep me warm enough. Not even while I’m in my sleeping bag that goes down to -25. This extra layer of insulation will hopefully be enough to change that. It’s surprisingly light, but not that compact.

The expedition

Since last August I am sure I’m joining the expedition. But, not everything is settled directly. Last month I completed the Denali Climbing Registration, which is required to climb Denali. Now the main actions left are buying tickets for the flight and the final payment for the expedition.