Yesterday I took my 35lb pack and started up the face of Mt Tremblant on the edge of the ski run. The snow was hard so while it was a fairly steep up, it was manageable and I thought, 'well this isn't so bad'. When I got to the first flat I had to cross over a ski run to continue up to the top of the chair which is actuall only half way up the mountain. I stopped to chat with some guys who were curious about why I might be slogging up the hill with a pack on. They were impressed by my ultimate objective and wished me good luck.

On the next section the going was slow as the slope was steep and seemed to get increasingly trecherous. I had to start kicking toe holds into the slope to prevent myself from careening down the face of the hill to what I imagined would be high entertainment for the skiers in the chairlift.  After about 20 minutes of kicking and stepping my calves felt like they were seizing and I looked up expecting to see the top. It was nowhere in sight,  just a wall of well groomed snow. I tried to rest and catch my breath but my legs were tense trying to balance on the little toes holds and all I could envision was toppling off the mountain. By this time, despite the fact it was -18C I was soaked. My jacket was open, my down puff sleeves pulled up to the elbows and my mits folded open with the fingers bared.

After another gruelling 25 minutes, I stepped over the lip and was a few hundred meters from the chair. I stood there catching my breath as the wind howled up the gulley between where I was and the top of the mountain and suddenly it was close to -25C. I was instantly frozen. I scrambled to zip up and pull down sleeves of my soaked jacket and pull my hood up and buff over my face. I yanked out my water bottle, it was frozen solid so I stuck inside my jacket. My dillema then was, do I continue to the top or head down. Given the time and the distance to the top and how much fun I was having my I erred to the conservative and headed down via a long and winding path partly through the woods. Three and a quarter hours later I arrived back at the chalet from where I had departed. A warm shower and a beer made the afternood seem like a walk in the park...

In 13 days we depart to challenge the AT, about 175 days of getting up and walking... Anda