Cooksomerice wrote:The hot spot discussed above was a real issue that quickly became a side issue to my GI problems.

What/How do you eat the day before and the morning of a big climb?

What do you do to settle nerves or anxious energy before a big climb?

It's definitely good advice to eat what you know agrees with you. The day before a big climb is not the day to experiment with foods that you don't usually eat. If necessary, take some food with you from home.

I have a hard time eating when I'm above 11k and also early in the morning (during an alpine start). Nerves destroy my appetite as well. You might prefer to stick to bland or mildly sweet foods such as oat bars and Hammer Gel. Don't consume a large amount of protein right before heading up because then your body will struggle to digest it. Sugars are best for quick energy. Aside from Hammer Gel and electrolyte chews, I also eat straight-up candy such as Swedish Fish (mmm) and jelly beans. Whatever you can stomach is perfectly fine because at this point the goal is not a nutritionally balanced diet, it's getting up the mountain.

The best way to handle fear is to stop trying to fight it. Just let it be there. Breathe deeply and focus on one small thing at a time. For example, if you're crossing above a large crevasse where you'll die if you slip, look carefully at where you're putting your boots and focus completely on each step as you walk across.