Excited! because the flight to Sardinia is booked for 20th April, for a week rock climbing and camping in the mountains…and in the sun!
Frustration! because I’ve been told the only gear I need to take is a harness and shoes, when everyone knows a trip is a great excuse to buy some shiny new gear!
My pal Hajaz has a friend over in Sardinia who will be our host for the week and I’m told he’ll provide all the climbing/camping gear. We’re travelling with Easyjet so anything over a couple of bags of sugar will be charged extra, but I do feel an urge to take some of my own kit!
Hajaz is already the master of travelling light – he arrived for our weekend in Wales last month with only a half-full 30l rucksack, whereas I arrived with a car-boot full of gear which I rooted through each morning to get organised for the day. For my trip to the Alps last summer I was more ‘selective’ and got everything in a 120l pack and weighed in at 25kg at the BA check-in desk. M’mmm I need some packing advice!
So, it looks like the Laser Comp won’t get it’s first outing of the year (I’m feeling sad just saying that!) but I’m sure I can sneak in my PHD Minim 300 sleeping bag (it’s light and I prefer to sleep in my own bag!), a NeoAir mattress (I do prefer relative comfort) and an Exped pillow (it weights sod all anyway) at the very least. Could have been an excuse to get a new set of quick-draws and the new JetBoil Sol stove looks tempting but not available till May:( Maybe some approach shoes and a new top or two will have to do.
Excited? Definitely. Frustrated? Not really. Can’t wait!