Start early. Go slow. Bring layers. Expect change: in the weather, the terrain, yourself. Try new positions. Develop a rhythm. Talk to yourself. Hydrate. When the going’s easy, go a little easier. When you’re sure you can’t go any harder, you can and you should. Make peace with false summits. Take breaks. Practice making your grimace look like a smile. Hydrate. Try to remember the things you can only remember when you forget everything else. Stare at your feet. Stare at the sky. Admire your wrists. When it’s almost over, focus on the hunger, then the discomfort, then the satisfaction, because everything ends. Call your mom, let her know you got home safe.