Somewhere along the line, I learned a skill which seems to serve me well in situations like this: I am able to suppress any nerves, anxiety or stress until some point in the future.

It's not like I've spent long hours diligently trying to achieve complete mastery over my mind. Rather, it's a simple survival tactic: I need to do x, y and z first. Worrying now, will just slow my efforts to finish the more pressing tasks at hand.

That said, I don't feel the same stress and prior to my North Pole departure. For one thing, there is considerably less to do. Tshering Nima Sherpa has done a great job organizing logistics and gear. In fact, and it's a bit weird to admit for me, but there will even be a cook at base camp and camp 2. Still, we are a small team and only one of two teams on the mountain - compared to the spring season when there are easily over 300 people at base camp

I talked to my friend Ryan Waters about the whole 'cook thing'. I had wanted to make my Everest trip a bit more like my polar travel we are very self reliant. 'Take every advantage you can,' he advised. 'You'll save a lot of energy and add to your ability to summit.' Ryan has summited Everest twice. He knows what he's talking about.

I put together a gear list for those who are curious. It's not totally finished but it gives a rough idea of what I'm taking.

Clothing - Sierra Designs Fiend Down Jacket, Sierra Designs Fiend Down Pant, Sierra Designs Gnar Jacket (down), Sierra Designs Mantra Fusion Jacket, Sierra Designs Mantra Fusion, Pant Sierra Designs Vapor Jacket, Sierra Designs Vapor Pant, Sierra Designs Frequency Jacket, Rab Primaloft Jacket

Base Layer - Terramar Terra T short sleeve, Terramar Terra T long sleeve (white), Terramar Helix top and bottom, Terramar Thermawool top and bottom, Terramar Geofleece top and bottom, Terramar balaclava, Terramar neck gaiter, Terrmar glove liners

Hands - Rab Expedition Mitts, Sierra Designs gloves, Expedition Shell gloves

Socks - Terramar wool socks, Integral Designs Vapor Barrier socks

Boots - Scarpa Phantom 8000, Scarpa Kailash GTX, Sierra Designs Waterproof Breathable Down Bootie

Tents - Sierra Designs Mountain Meteor ­on the mountain, Sierra Designs ­ Grand Mothership ­ Base Camp

Sleeping - Sierra Designs BTU -20, Sierra Designs Wicked Light 45, Integral Designs Vapor Barrier Bag, Therm-a-Rest ProLite, ­ Regular Ridge Rest Solar - Regular, Therm-a-Rest Compack Chair

Pack - Seal Line Pro Pack, Granite Gear ­Stratus Access FZ 5500, Sierra Designs ­ Revival 65, Granite Gear Air Bags, Granite Gear Air Cell Blocks

Hydration - Platypus Big Zip SL, Platypus Insulator, MSR Miox Purifier, Nalgene

Climbing - LEKI hiking poles, CAMP Alpine Climbing Harness, CAMP Ice Ax, Black Diamond Crampons, Petzl Ascender, Figure 8 Prussiks

Cooking - MSR XGK EK, MSR Reactor MSR, Reactor 2.5 Pot, MSR EXO 2 Pot Titan Spoon, Stanley Outdoor Vacuum Food Jar ­20oz, Stanley Outdoor Vacuum Bottle ­1 Qt., Stanley 20oz Mug Bowl

Eye wear - Optic Nerve Gemini, Optic Nerve Roger That, Optic Nerve Antero Goggles

Communication - Iridium 9505a Satellite Phone, Iridium 9555 Satellite Phone, Trimble Nomad Rugged Hand Held computer, BGAN Widey Sabre, Netbook convertible ASUS

Power - Goal0 Sherpa 120 Explorer Kit (27M Solar Panel, Sherpa 50 battery, Sherpa UI) Goal0 Nomad 7 solar panel, Goal0 Base Camp Kit

Camera Canon G10, Canon Vixia HF 20, ContourHD Helmet cam

Navigation - DeLorme PN-60W, SUUNTO MC-2 compass

Headlight - Princeton Tec Apex Pro

Food and Snacks - Mountain House freeze dried meals, Clif Bar, Clif Shot, Clif Shot Bloks, Clif Mojo Bars, Clif Builder's, Bar Clif C Bar, Clif Crunch, Justin's Nut Butter, Perky Jerky, Pringles, Gold fish

Medical - Atwater Carey LD2 first aid kit, Prescription High Altitude Dexamethazone (HACE) Nifedipene (HAPE) Diamox (AMS) Head Pain/ Pain Anti-inflammatory Ibuprofen Morfin Paracetamol Disprin Antibiotics Azithromycin Cipro Amoxycillin Stomach Tinidazole Loperamide Flagyl Eye Amethocaine Misc Wenger folding pocket knife

Image: A pile of Expedition Gear.