Packing for Peru

9 months of planning and preparation have led to this.  Now I am trying to shove a weeks worth of mountaineering gear into one very large duffle, and keep it below 50 lbs.

I am working through complex decisions such as, "should I wear my climbing boots on the plane to save weight?" I've got a strong crew going with me. There's Ian, a nurse who is 26, who I've known since he started climbing in high school. Dylan, who is 18 and just graduated high school, but I've also known him for many years. And Matthew, age 23, an experienced hiker, backpacker, and climber who works at our local outdoor gear shop, but that I haven't known quite as long.

The four of us have trained together, learned rope and rescue systems, and agonized over gear selection. Now it is time to put it all to the test. Ian, Dylan and I are all on the same flight going through Houston, and Matthew is cashing in frequent flyer miles and heading through Atlanta. With the recent flooding in Texas, and extensive travel delays yesterday, Atlanta is sounding much better than Houston. We will see how it goes it tomorrow!