Tick tock tick tock ... 3 weeks and counting

Departing for Everest 3 weeks today! Yip yip.

Lots to fit in between now and then - whether it be planning, purchasing and training or catching up with my family and making sure that everything is place for the B&B to run smoothly whilst I am away. We're delighted to have been able to appoint Suzanna as a member of staff to run the B&B in my absence.

This has been a week of meetings and liaising with people. Have had chats with other Everest summiteers and leaders asking for top tips and handy hints and thankfully no advice has come to light that hasn't really been covered or thought of already (apart from a tip about the oxygen system. One of my friends had a client who had a freak occurrence that compromised his O2 supply so we've got the preventative measure for that in place).

The team now comprises myself and 5 for the Big E along with our trusty Base Camp manager. Her boyfriend is accompanying us trekking for 4 weeks, 2 friends of one of the climbing team are trekking for 2 weeks and then there are 3 folk for Island Peak as well. So 13 of us in total.

Meanwhile the preparation for the November Ama Dablam expedition is also underway with 5 people signed up for that trip and 4 for Island Peak as well.

And then there are the usual array of guests booked in to the B&B and a smattering of climbing days in the diary for summer as well. Looks like it's going to be a busy year again.

I wonder whether I'll be to knackered to have another go at The Bob Graham Round ...