[greatwallforum]

I've been doing a lot of things to get ready for the trip.

I bought air tickets at the earliest possible date, October of last year. Delta has new nonstop flights from Atlanta to Shanghai and, having had trying experiences with connecting flights to China in the past, I chose the nonstop flight without hesitation. Hopefully next year, due to their merger with Northwest, they will have a nonstop flight from Atlanta to Beijing!

Last year I began preparing detailed maps with GPS coordinates and place names in both Pinyin and Chinese characters. Some are topographical and some are planimetric.

In December of last year, I got a new backpack (Golite Jam2), and in January of this year I modified it to my needs (removed the top extension and some other features to reduce weight, added a waterproof zipper, and added several inside pockets with Velcro closures). The finished product weighs about 600 grams (21 ounces).

In January, I bought and read two books: The Essential Wilderness Navigator by David Seidman, and Outdoor Navigation With GPS by Stephen W. Hinch.

In February, inspired by the books, I got a Brunton baseplate compass. It’s good to have a “real” compass with declination adjustment, and this one only weighs about 30 grams (1.1 ounces).

In March, I modified an aluminum hiking pole to make it as short as possible for packing purposes while still being long enough for use. This also reduced the weight to 228 grams (8 ounces). I still haven’t decided whether to bring it; I really prefer to have both hands free at all times while climbing. I also like to be able to use my camera frequently and quickly.

Also in March, I got a new passport as I found that my existing passport would expire this year.

In April, I resumed studying Mandarin Chinese and it’s a good thing because I found that I have forgotten so much!

Also in April, I resumed my fitness training. I use a stepper to improve leg strength and I run to build stamina.

Last week, I sent off my visa application and I hope to receive my visa this week.