You know you really can do this thing!

I was a very avid trekker way back then, in my early twenties, 1983, trekked 35 days up to the Everest Base Camp and back via Eastern Nepal- and then just two months later- 21 days trek across the remote Zanskar valley in the remote Ladakh region of the Indian Himalaya. 

Then it was part of an overall year's travel to the Far East (which was to develop into nearly 5 years of living in the East, something that I could never have imagined at that stage of the game). 

Over the years there were many other hikes and treks, but they were always either in Israel or short one day hikes- nothing that could ever relive the feeling, ambience, and challenge of the Himalyan experiences.  

Those treks- and the subsequent living in the East- changed my life tremendously, I took them with me long after I was no longer a frequent traveler on the world's trekking paths, as sad as this was for me…

And here I was back, if only for a few days, this time with my "next generation model", my son, Gil, and this time I am no longer 24 but 54…the backpack was not exactly the 10-15 kg. of those days but there was definitely more than half of that on my back…the snow-capped mountains, the ups and downs, the pressure on the feet and the legs- it all came back- and I loved it!

I must say that I too has some questions in my mind: could I really do it? After all, there is some asthma in my legs, my "figure" is no longer what it was, who really knows, who can really foretell…I will go for it, as I know deep inside that I can do it.

And I could. 

In fact, it was much easier than I had feared, the rougher moments were all dealt with by taking it a bit more slowly, letting the younger folks pass while I took my time on the uphill---let's say I was in the 60-75% range- for every 10 "youngsters" on the path walking with us 6 or 7 were behind me and the rest in back.

I was ok, doing well, enjoying and as well as the feeling that in at least this way I was ready, willing and able to do this thing.

You really can, you know, you really can do this stuff- don't let your negative mind get to you. It gets to so much stuff anyway- don't let it. 

You can do it and it is definitely worth it!