The Final Days of Training

Sorry for the delay in posting this, I hope you didn’t all think the training had got the better of us. After last week, I must admit I was nervous about being about to do 2 eight hour walks on two consecutive days. It was quite an achievement to do 8 hours, but to come home exhausted and aching, then get up the next morning to do it all over again is the only way to know we can do the trek in the Andes for 5 days.

Uphill AgainWell, it all went quite well. Started off yesterday in the good old New Forest. First interesting thing was an adder. Unfortunately it was roadkill but brought home to us how close to very wildlife we are. And I was careful where I trod for the rest of the day.

We got lost (seems to be feature of recent walks), but finally found a pub for lunch after being misdirected up a very steep and long way round, but it was probably the biggest ploughman’s lunch in the world with about 10 ounces of cheese. Rest of the day was long, loads of hills (see picture – of course once again I had to run a head to get this shot) but we got home tired and aching, but not as bad as last week.

Next day was fine! The first half hour was a bit achy, but we went on a very hilly walk in the South Downs. Towards the end the aches turned into pain, but you just endure it and put one foot in front of the other thinking of how nice it will be when it’s all finished.The End Of The Training

And it was – 36 miles of hilly trekking in two days. And the morning after we both felt that we could do it all over again for another two days, albeit with industrial quantities of moleskin and Compeed. We’ve progressed from ramblers with the Hampshire Teashop Walk Guide to trekkers with Ordnace Survey map and a compass (even though we’re not always that good at using it). And that’s the end of our official training, we “rest” a bit for the next two weeks, just a couple of mere 6 hour walks now and again to keep the muscles in shape.

2 thoughts on “The Final Days of Training”

  1. It’s an epic project – and a worthy one. However, I was wondering if you’d be taking your sax? Publicity is often oxygen for fund-raising and it seems that the sight and sound of a man in a giant shark costume (I remember the Deep Sea Jivers!) playing the Peruvian national anthem over ancient Inca trails couldn’t fail to raise interest! Will there be a day-by-day internet progress blog? It’ll be great for Joe and Jim to follow – when I was their age, going to the local park was an expedition!

  2. I might have done if there was still any chance of getting a saxophone on as hand luggage like in the old days, but I think it would now be assumed to be a terrorist threat. Erm, come to think of it maybe that\’s not such a new thing.

    And unfortunately no blog as there are no phone lines on the trail AFAIK. If we can find an internet cafe at Macchu Pichu or Cuzco before and after I will atempt to blog, otherwise you\’ll all just have to wait until I get back.

Leave a Comment