A slightly different post with a few more details of the reality of doing a thru hike.
Bugs:
Ticks were our first nightmare when it came to bugs, these blood sucking creatures are so small you could probably get 50 on your thumb nail. We have had a couple of bad evenings when it felt like they were everywhere and we were constantly checking that they had not latched on especially before going to sleep. We spray a bit of insect repellant to try and put them off but at the end of the day there is not much you can do about them.
Midges were always the talk of the trail when we met people and we had got really lucky until about day 20 when we camped by a river. It was quite humid and as soon as the wind died down they were all over the tent, thousands of them. It just made your skin feel a bit crawly and was not ideal in the morning when we needed to pack the tent away. From then on we have encountered a few and they have gone for our wrists and ankles. We brought some Smidge in Fort William as we were intrigued if it was any good and the plus side is that it smells OK and therefore disguises the smell of us.
Equipment:
We have done pretty well in terms of the core equipment that we need. Our tent is doing a fabulous job which is the most important thing and always feels like our cosy, safe place to end the day. Tom snapped a pole quite early on in the bog but it seems to have held together well with good old Gorilla tape so decided not to replace it in Fort William. We left a tent peg at a camp site as we were chatting to a fellow camper, so learnt our lesson and brought a new pack so we could have a spare and posted the rest home. My sleeping mat was starting to deflate quite a bit during the night meaning I would wake most days on the floor. It was impossible to easily find where the hole(s) were until one night when there was quite a lot of condensation about, I finally heard the bubbles and marked them up with pen. I now have 2 patches and hope that these stay strong for the rest of trip as they are not a cheap piece of kit to replace.
Feet:
Our feet were sore to start with which was expected and after a few days we both used Mole Skin Blister Prevention pads on the hot spots, this ultimately was due to the time we were spending on our feet but my shoes didn’t properly dry for the whole time so I don’t think that would have helped.
We both picked up new shoes in Fort William and were cruising for the first couple of days, but I seem to have picked up a couple of blisters, so the Compeed plasters are out! We have been taking special care of our feet as we know that if they are good, we have a fab chance of getting to the end.
Hunger:
About 10 days into the trail we started to get the Hikers Hunger feeling and have definitely been snacking more in-between breakfast, lunch & dinner, especially in the mornings as we get going for the day. For the more remote sections we carried out favourite Firepot meals for the evenings which were stress free and super yummy but they are not cheap. Post Fort William we are going for the DIY approach picking up noodles, couscous & veggies to go with them. Snacks wise go to at the moment are Tunnocks Caramel, Banana Soreen Lunch Bites, both as a result of trail magic donations, Twix for dessert after noodles and dried mango for sweet snacking on trail.
Laundry:
We both have just a hiking day outfit and nightwear along with a waterproof jacket and trousers to keep things as light as possible. At the start of the trail it was quite cold and wet meaning we didn’t sweat much so luckily didn’t smell, however as the sun started to shine things do start to smell. We have done 2 loads of laundry since starting the trail, one in Kinlochewe at the campsite and again at the Campsite in Fort William, the process involves putting everything in the machine and wearing waterproofs whilst it drys much to the amusement of the cosy caravan owners at the sites. We have also washed socks and t-shirts in the sinks when we have booked accommodation.
Showers:
We have had approximately 7 showers in the last 3 weeks at the campsites and accomodation that we have stayed at which have been an absolute luxury every time. You may have noticed that Tom lopped most of my hair off (sorry Angela) before we started which means it’s been very easy. You may or may not have noticed Tom has not shaved since we started, he has not produced the manly beard he wished for but will be interesting to see what it looks like by the end of the trip. When we are in the tent the baby wipes are out to keep us hygienic. Feet and removing sun cream at the end of the day take priority. It’s not until you enter a pub toilet or hotel bathroom that you realise you have not seen your own face in many days, one of the most liberating things about being on the trail is that you don’t waste any headspace on what you look like and as a result it does not cross your mind to worry about what others think of you.
Tech:
Evenings are spent writing up notes of the day for the blog and backing up photos as well as reading the e-guide book and looking at the maps for the next day. We have had many evenings of no signal which has been lovely but it has also been nice to sit in the tent after dinner and catch up on F1 highlights even if it’s a few days late. When we are low on charge we each have a battery pack and we do our best to take advantage of any opportunity, pub, café etc to charge the essentials such as the Garmin Outreach and phones.
Water:
We have been primarily getting our water straight off the mountain, using the same one bottle to collect it and then using our Sawyer filter to fill our other bottles. We are using 1 litre ActiPH bottles from the supermarket as the thread matches that of the filter and you can easily squish them, to force the water through. They are durable, and we are yet to replace one.
The People:
It’s fair to say we didn’t meet many people in the first 3 weeks but those that we did were just wonderful. So kind, enthusiastic and as passionate as us about being in the outdoors and relative wilderness. We have received such kindness from complete strangers, shared and listened to some wonderful stories and have always said good bye and safe trails with a smile on our faces.
As we hit the West Highland Way there are a different kind of people, and there will be many more to come but the people of our Highlands adventure have certainly been a highlight.
We woke a bit later than normal, treated ourselves to a campsite shower and headed next door to the garage and cafe for 08:30 for a breakfast bap and coffee in the sun. We headed out about 10:30 with the intention of making it to Craig about 17km away. We were both in shorts and t-shirt, sun creamed up with fresh smelling clothes on. Within minutes of turning off the road and onto the trail we were back in the bog, my shoes and socks were soaked through and there was mud all up my legs, I was fuming.
We continued on through a narrow path of bracken and young forest and by the end of the 5km stretch my bare legs had been annihilated. We then hit a wide forestry road and the huge valley opened out in front of us, it was very impressive and beautiful. Although there was some up and down the path was wide and easier to navigate, with the sun blazing and a cool breeze it was perfect.
We passed a man who was doing the Cape Wrath Trail and had come from where we were going. He said the river further on from Craig was perfect camping so we decided to head there. We took the donkey track down to Craig which got my feet wet all over again and was tough on the knees as it was steep. At the Craig railway crossing we met a lovely lady, probably in her late fifties, who had camped by the river the night before and done a Munro on her own during the day. She was very excited about our adventure and encouraged us to continue on to the river to camp. We joined an estate road and climbed for quite a bit, collecting and filtering water from a stream on the way.
It was a beautiful evening, I rescued my feet by cleaning them off in the water and drying them out. Tom and I both agreed as we had made a bit more progress than planned we would push on a bit further the next day meaning the day after would not be quite as long as planned, making our four hot days in the wilderness a bit more manageable.
Coulin Pass viewsSpot the tent
Day 14: Allt a Chonais to Maol-Bhuidhe Bothy
? 21km
? 692m
We left camp early and made our way out the valley on the estate road that then cut off right on a marked trail to go up and over Allt Leathad an Tobair. We crossed a rope bridge, which went hilariously wrong for me and I ended up hanging with my backpack in the water and had to get my feet wet to recover. ?
The point were I was the right way up
As we were making our way up we saw a guy practically running down a Munro on our left. He was so lovely and excited for us when we told him of our trip. He had got up early to do the Munro that his wife had done the day before and was trying to beat her time. He pretty much emptied his bag and gave us a handful of goodies, our second dose of trail magic! We then came off the path and headed cross country, traversing along the side of Bealach Bhearnais staying quite high. We finally hit a better path, which turned into an estate road, and got a few fast KMs in. As we approached Bendronaig Lodge we stopped for lunch on a couple of nice rocks before heading Left on an estate road that took us around Loch Calavie. We could smell something dead and just around the water was a deer that didn’t make it. At the top end of the loch we ran out of path and headed up and over before we saw the beautiful white bothy which would be our home for the night.
Antlers still attached, bothy in the distance
The bothy was a family home to the shepherd of the estate in the 1800s, at least 3 families would have lived there over the time, with at least 10 children born in its remote location. The families would have lived off the land and spent some very cold winters in the house with 3 rooms. We headed down to it, finding the best place to cross the river and when we arrived had a quick look around, then started washing feet etc in the river.
Soon after, Simon arrived, he was on annual leave from the Army doing the Cape Wrath Trail and was wonderful company. Simon and Tom went bog wood hunting so that they could get the fire going and they came back with some decent wood and some dried peat. We ate together with a successful fire going. Just as we were finishing up Paul arrived, another fantastic human being with lots of thru hike stories. They were both fabulous company to spend the evening with. Tom and I slept in the attic space of the bothy which was lovely.
Paul (left), Simon (right)
Day 15: Maol-Bhuidhe Bothy to Glen Affric Youth Hostel
? 28km
? 671m
We packed up and left the boys early, making our way out the back of bothy along a fabulous path. The views forward and back were stunning and the valley sides were more green rather than brown. We met a few people out for Munro’s, and an Australian lady on a bike, and before we knew it we had smashed 10km. We then turned off the estate road up the gorge, with two giggling mountain bikers coming towards us hysterical that Strava had told them they could bike the route. Biking the route would have been mad as it started steep and gradual but as we hiked more into the gorge it turned into huge steps up and more of a scramble so much so that we ditched the poles. It was different to any of the hiking we had done previously and certain muscles were struggling to get into gear, some of the steps were really high and with the pack it was quite an effort.
The Falls of Glomach, 113m high,were impressive, despite the dry days we have had recently, and we enjoyed lunch at the top.
Falls from above
We then followed the river that fed the falls on a pathless 5km through bits of bog and the shores of lochs, by the end it was quite tedious but probably the best section of pathless hiking we have done.
We then hit a better path and headed down for the final 7km or so. We reached the youth hostel which we knew was closed, but had good camping, and bumped into a couple of young boys who were exploring. A few minutes later their dad came to find them and we shared our trail stories, they were out for a 3 day hike wild camping for the first time with Dad, and seemed to be loving it.
We pitched the tent by the hostel building and washed feet in the stream next door, a quad bike then pitched up with a guy dropping some bags off then he headed straight back out to pick up 3 other lads. They were living in the hostel whilst they replaced the deer fences that had come down in the winter avalanches. They work long days, getting through 200m of fencing a day between the 4 of them all done by hand and at serious height and gradient. They showered from boiling pots of water which was bailed from the stream just like us, they were fun to have around in the warm evening.
We enjoyed a lovely breakfast at The Crask Inn and a last chat with the fabulously calm Douglas. We finally left about 09:30 and thanks to the tip off from Douglas spent most of the day casually walking through the forestry track.
It started off wet and I soon discovered I had my trousers on back to front so had to do an awkward change in the rain, but we then had a lovely blue patch of sky that followed us around most of the day. We had lunch by the river and then the hobble began, having been rather smug leaving the Crask showered, fed and rested, our feet were now on fire and the easy going road was taking it’s toll. By the time it came to leaving the forest and joining the main road to walk up the the campsite we booked for that night our feet were seriously uncomfortable.
The camp site was ok but we immediately wished we were wild camping again. There were showers available but I could not be bothered to get undressed again and 2 showers in a row seemed a bit unnecessary. ?♀️
Day 8: Lairg to Oykl Bridge
? 34km
? 391m
Half an hour before we were due to get up, the rain went pit pat on the tent and our hearts sank at the prospect of our long, prodominately road, walk ahead in the rain. We packed away the soggy tent and sulkily hobbled down the road to Lairg, the nearest town. Here we visited the pharmacy to stock up on protective plasters, tissues and pain relief drugs. Tom asked for “as many ibuprofen as you can give me” and got a box of 84 double strength pills! ? A bit further into town we found the visitors centre, here we had a cuppa, changed sock options (Tom) and used the toilet before starting out again, resetting our day.
The day comprised of a long stretch along road, luckily not too busy, a nice section through Rose Hall where we stopped in the forest, and had our lunch at a picnic bench, then joining the river and finished the day along a prime section of fishing estate. The setup was very impressive with lovely huts, access roads and seating areas. The river was also beautiful with dramatic rocks, waterfalls and rapids.
We headed to the hotel we had booked for the night, it was very relaxed and friendly, we had been allocated a sofa and table and chairs of our own in the lounge/bar area so once we had indulged in a shower we headed there for the evening.
We had met a lovely couple just as we arrived and explained what we were up to, how far we had walked and our plan to reach lands end. The couple spotted us again and brought over thier friends so we explained a bit more. They were well spoken, dressed head to toe in tweed and were here for the fishing.
We devoured a steak and ale pie with lots of veg, a sticky toffee pudding and a cheeky pint.
Day 9: Oykl Bridge to Strathmulzie
? 14km
? 310m
We made the most of breakfast taking it slow and eating as much as we could, we then returned to room to pack stuff up and went to our sofa in the bar to chill and do some admin.
We met Patrick and Alex who were doing the Cape Wrath Trail and chatted all things hiking. We grabbed a beef sandwich from the bar for lunch and then did a gentle 14km out into the valley, following the river then along another estate road, finding a lush spot by the river to camp. This was our first fully sunny day of the trip, Tom had his legs out and I was down to one layer. We tackled the ticks before getting an early night ahead of an early start.
We woke early at our favourite Inverness overnight stop off place, the Black Isle Brewery & Bunk Room. We showered for the final time in a while and walked the 3 minutes to the train station, sad there was no coffee to be had but excited to board the 07:00 train to Wick.
The four and a half hour journey was spent ticking off the last of the life admin jobs, ensuring everything was charged and downloaded and I finished my book just in time.
We took a taxi the last few miles up to Lands End and enjoyed lunch at the Northern Point Café. After the mandatory photos at the John O’Groats sign we joined the coastal path and started walking.
The weather was kind but the terrain underfoot was not and a few miles in I immediately regretted not wearing my SealSkinz waterproof socks as there were some pretty soggy boggy sections. The Geo’s (a long, narrow, steep-sided cleft formed by erosion in coastal cliffs) although frustrating to navigate at times as you have to come quite far inland to then go back out again, were gorgeous with beautiful flowers growing and thousands of birds nesting in them.
We very simply kept the sea on our left and made our way towards Keiss. We crossed a gorgeous white sandy beach with turquoise blue water, and Tom could not resist a cheeky dip. We met a couple of gentlemen on our walk along the rest of the beach but apart from that it was deserted. We continued on to Keiss and camped just after the ruined castle but before the little harbour.
The first night in the tent is never a good sleep despite the beautiful location but it was a nice feeling to be back on the trail.
Day 2: Keiss Castle to Talbech Farm
? 33km
? 259m
We rose early to get some easy miles in, the first part of the day’s trail was down a quiet country road, we then tackled the first marshy bog of the trip navigating through about 3km of marshy pond land; it’s safe to say the waterproof socks were on. We then continued through to Watten and were disappointed that the Brown Trout pub was not open until 5pm, but we stocked up on water and Tom’s worries that we were going to run out of food meant he also came out of The General Store with ham and rolls for lunch. We spoke to a lovely local gentleman who must have been in his 80s and had moved to the area 15 or so years ago.
It just started to rain so we made a move out of the village but not before we used the PC. ? We followed the river out and were supposed to join a forestry area where we were hoping to camp but sadly a huge area of the forest had been felled and in its place were huge wind turbines so instead we walked for several boring kilometres through a wind farm.
The rain was on and off and we started to worry about finding a suitable place to camp, but as always a spot always turns up so we pitched up in the rain next door to the sheep and the sound of the wind turbines not really in the distance.
Day 3: Talbech Farm to Dalnawillian Lodge
? 26km
? 307m
We left a bit later from camp today but still in the rain, we needed to cross the river but it had swollen to high levels so we made our way up the road to the farm house to take their bridge over the river. Here we met the farmer and his son who were very friendly and pointed out the bridge we were after, they were the first to guess we were going all the way to Lands End, thought we were mad, apologised for the wet May weather and wished us luck.
We followed the river before joining a track and walked along the grassy and beautifully wide marked track through a quarry and before rejoining the river. We bumped into some anglers who were scouting out some good spots to fish, ate our lunch of peanut butter wraps in a small car park in-between rain showers and filled up on and filtered water from a nearby stream. The final section of the day was along an estate road, it was relatively easy going so we tried to get some distance in. We passed several very remote cottages to rent and spotted our first herd of deer. We settled to camp high above the river next to an abandoned lodge, it was quite eerie but a perfect sheltered camp spot. The lambs were not too impressed we had pinched their spot but we enjoyed a dry evening with a great view. The temperature plummeted in the night to 0⁰C so a few extra layers were put on early in the morning.
On Wednesday 19th May 2021 we will begin a thru hike that will take us from John O’Groats to Lands End, following a primarily trail based route mapped out by Andy Robinson, published by Cicerone. The route published actually takes you from bottom to top but our desire to avoid the worst of the Scottish midges was enough to tackle the extra challenge of following the route back to front.
The 2,000 km (1242 miles) journey will take us remotely across the north of Scotland from John O’ Groats to Fort William where we will pick up the West Highland Way. From here we will make our way down the country linking national trails such as the Pennine Way and Offa’s Dyke Path before joining the South West Coastal Path at Barnstaple taking us all the way to Lands End.
We expect the hike to take 2.5 to 3 months but with the luxury of time and the intention of camping and eating cheap most of the way, our current attitude is to be relatively unplanned and let the journey take as long as it needs to and we hope to bring you along with us.
We couldn’t post about our next adventure without a quick update on where we have been, because actually, despite the huge challenges and disappointments of the past 12 months, it’s important to highlight all the positives that have come our way, even though none of them were expected.
SPRING 2020
Returning to the UK brokenhearted at the end of March, homeless and jobless, was probably our 2020 low point.
April saw a lot of sulking, days of frustration from each of us, taking it in turns to suggest more and more obscure and wilder ways to get back to the states and back on the trail. Applying for temporary fruit picking jobs made us feel we were doing something sensible, but most of the time was spent checking flights, checking and rechecking the rules. This unfamiliar period of the year did however reinforce a few things for us; there was no doubt hiking the PCT was something we both still desperately wanted to do, we learnt more about how each other coped with such disappointment and how best we could help each other through the tricky realisation that this year’s hike was not going to happen and discovered a newfound respect for each others feelings.
By May I had secured a job at our local Tesco, helping out with the now highly in demand click and collect service. The shift was 04:00 – 12:00 and I committed to 4 days a week.I learnt my fastest shopping was done for refrigerated goods, although the task was boring at times it did involve engaging enough of the brain that I couldn’t listen to a podcast at the same time and therefore the best form of entertainment was making up stories about the people behind the orders. There is always huge value in embracing a new experience, I still had to overcome that fear of meeting new people, asking for help and making mistakes. But I was motivated by the knowledge that I was contributing as a key worker at a time of crisis, learning about stock control, targets and logistics but most importantly, it seemed, getting first dibs on the bread flour.
SUMMER 2020
On June 1st I started a role relevant to my career and stepped up to the challenge of joining a new company and new team remotely. That week we had been taking our daily exercise, walking locally, and passed a beautifully converted camper van. The following week Audrey arrived, our 2013 Fiat Ducato with her distinctive orange front, quite possibly our most extravagant and spontaneous purchase yet. In true Tom style a renovation plan had been documented, the relevant YouTube links embedded and my Pinterest Board approved, from here the conversion began.
By July Tom had also successfully secured a job and so Audrey’s conversion was limited to lunchtime, after-work and weekends. Luckily the summer evenings were kind, we were blessed with space to work and FOMO was not a concern as there was not much else we were allowed to do or places we could go anyway. I learnt a lot about insulation, paint drying times and grades of sandpaper along with perfecting the ability to make the most of every minute available. By the end of the month Audrey had a side window, fan in the roof, was fully foiled with insulation, had a floor, bed and kitchen unit with one chair.
August saw Audrey’s first road trip down to Cornwall; as cupboards and the bed were in place she was a comfy warm place to sleep but under the bonnet she was not sounding great. We struggled back from the south and took her straight to the garage. Luckily the problem was identified and was fixable but would cost us the rest of our budget. The Grand Designs curse had hit our build but as always on the show we borrowed from savings and carried on regardless.
AUTUMN 2020
September saw a second road trip to Wales, 3 nights over a long weekend. We visited the beautiful Portmeirion walking it’s unique coastline, stand up paddled in Barmouth Bay and hiked Llyn Ogwen. We had every weather condition, as is expected, and had the opportunity to test cupboard, seat and table positioning, the porta potty and exactly what speed you could get away with taking a roundabout without the draws flying open. Our higher position in Audrey’s cabin provided us with a different perspective of Snowdonia’s national park, the higher view of the drive through the valley was fabulous and seemed extra special as Wales closed its borders just days later.
In October we moved to the Peak District, chosen so that if required I could more easily get to the Manchester Office but the reality of more lockdowns meant that we were both able to enjoy our new home more than planned. It was a new and different kind of beautiful, we had a choice of hilly trails to run or walk straight from the house. Everything we needed grocery wise was walking distance including a fabulous local green grocer, deli and to Tom’s delight a bottle shop. Our weekends were full of plans to host our friends and family and we were very much looking forward to sharing the exploring of a new area with them but sadly the tier system was put in place soon after our arrival so we settled in for a Winter of each other’s company and made our way through the gin and beer we had stocked up on.
A visitorless November meant we made a deal with each other to get Audrey completed by the end of the year. Making the most of every dry day, getting supplies delivered to the house and taking advantage of Richard’s (Tom’s Dad) 2 week quarantine with us. We made decent progress, my jobs included tiling the splash back, putting down the cork flooring, making curtains and ordering practical bits from IKEA.
WINTER 2020
December We were successful in our mission and are very proud of our camper conversion achievement. With plans to drive around the country delivering Christmas gifts and wishes we had Audrey prepped for her biggest road trip yet and to be respectful of the situation we were prepared to be totally self-sufficient, meeting others outdoors only to show off our new home. Sadly the new strain of the virus threw a last minute curve ball to those plans and we didn’t make it far. Despite the world spending Christmas in the most restrictive way possible, the completion of Audrey does bring me the feeling of ultimate freedom. Our very own home, on wheels that have the potential to take us anywhere.
January, a new year but the lockdown situation still very much the same, however the Peak District didn’t disappoint with whole days of snowfall and that handy hill behind the house, our Amazon order was placed and sledging was a big part of our daily exercise. We applied and were successful in getting a PCT Permit for 2021 knowing in our heart of hearts the chances of being allowed to fly to the USA were pretty slim.
February saw long local, weekend hikes in all weathers in preparation for the unknown, with the lease on the house in the Peaks coming to an end and a post lockdown roadmap published we started thinking about what we wanted from the year ahead, what opportunities were available to us and mapping out our realistic options.
SPRING 2021
We moved to Cornwall in March, renting another AirBnB property long term we both worked remotely, fully embraced our new daily exercise routine by the sea and enjoyed precious time with family who live locally.
The driest April since forever meant weekend hikes along the coast path resulted in red noses, morning sea swims became more inviting and Audrey’s solar panel’s were fully utilised along with all her other new features. As we began to have more and more faith that the roadmap was going to unfold as planned we began to make bigger and bolder decisions and at some point committed to hiking from John O’Groats back to Cornwall, Lands End.
It turns out after 3 and a bit years of living in the same flat you accumulate a lot of ‘stuff’. With a minimal year ahead of us, it was the charity shop’s lucky day but the whole process of choosing what to keep was surprisingly satisfying.
Lesson 1
Every now and then review your ‘stuff’ if you have not worn it, used it, wondered where it is in the past 2 years, you don’t need it in your life. Donate it to someone who does.
March 5th 2020: The US Border
We arrived at LAX, went to the passport machines to register our arrival and then got separated into 2 different queues to see the border police. Tom was through in 20 minutes, I queued for well over an hour and then got grilled because; border control’s first impression of a single woman, travelling on her own to embark on what most people would consider a pretty ludicrous journey was very suspicious.
Lesson 2
It seems despite equality being a hot topic over the last couple of years, and it has been recognised over and over that women are just as independent, strong and capable as men, when entering the US, go through the process with a male if one is available this will prevent you from having to waste the minimal energy you have left after a 10 hour transatlantic fight, justifying your existence to a sexist *****.
March 5th – 16th 2020: California
We stayed with Richard and his partner Patsi for our first 10 days in the USA, we were prepping for the hike but also spending time with them, getting involved in their day to day, and embracing the California culture. We also got to spend some quality time with Tom’s sister and her fabulous family as well.
Lesson 3
If you have family that live abroad and you think that you know & understand them from afar you don’t. Just like in nature the only way to get to know someone truly is to explore their habitat, understand their environment and the experience first hand the challenges that they face every day. If you ever get the chance to do this you must, there is no better way to connect.
Lesson 4
The idea of driving a manual car from the passenger seat on the wrong side of the road is terrifying. In reality it’s not, have faith, your perceived conscious incompetence may actually be unconscious competence.
Lesson 5
In California, it’s perfectly acceptable to go for a run around the block, get in the car for a drive through Starbucks, bring it home to enjoy and then go back out again for lunch at In-N-Out Burger. Embrace, Embody, Enjoy
March 17th – 20th 2020: The PCT
We set off on our 6 month thru hike to Canada, and as you all know this only lasted 4 days, however when I sat and thought about it I did learn quite a lot. Here’s a quick round up of what I learnt from spending not quite 4 days on the Pacific Crest Trail;
Lesson 6
Don’t have a spicy Thai Curry the night before you leave for the trail, hopefully no further explanation is required.
Lesson 7
There is no such thing as a waterproof glove, but 2 pairs of wet gloves are still warmer than no gloves at all.
Lesson 8
1 baby wipe has 2 sides, can be split in half and should be prioritised for the 3 F’s. Face, Feet, Fanny.
Lesson 9
It does not matter how cold, wet or snowy the weather, when you have got to go, you have got to go. For now at least I will never know if it will get any worse than being on your period, digging through 6 inches of snow and trying to squat with all your layers on.
Lesson 10
To increase chances of staying married, when wearing the aforementioned 2 pairs of gloves make sure they are out of shot when taking rare photo of husband. It helps if the horizon is level too.
Lesson 11
Make all the snacks accessible from the start of the day and come to think of it all through the night as well. It’s perfectly acceptable to snack trail mix at 04:00 because you are too hungry to sleep.
Lesson 12
Looks can be deceiving, even if you pack a wet tent away it will still keep you dry once it’s back up.
Lesson 13
Your toothbrush can be too small and the state of your hair is the least of your worries, but do think twice about shaving an undercut in your in-laws bathroom, I am not convinced it was worth the mess.
Lesson 14
Spending 10 minutes filming a Gopher digging a hole could be the highlight of your day.
Lesson 15
Reading fun messages in the sand and writing them back in the snow really does bring a smile to your face.
21st – 31st March 2020: Love, Laughter & Respect
We spent the first few days off trail in denial, angry and bitterly disappointed, but time provides us with the ability to learn more and understand that the world we are so desperate to explore needs us to respect its state at this point in time. It helps us put our situation into perspective and support those who need and love us the most through positivity and laughter.
Lesson 16
You don’t realise how much a hug means until you are not allowed to dish them out freely.
Family
Lesson 17
With time on our hands, a GoPro & limited access to a pool comes creativity.
Lesson 18
Don’t look up to your parents in a completely alien situation thinking they will have dealt with it in a mature and sensible way.
Lesson 19
Being told by the PM that you can only part take in one form of outdoor exercise per day has resulted in me running every day and attempting to recreate my HIIT class before re-entering the house. A regime that up until now has only got as far being planned out across January in a new diary as part of a well intended new year’s resolution.
Lesson 20
In a time where everyone is living by the same rules, no one is certain about the present or can predict the future society is more equal than it has ever been before. This level playing field has provided me with the most honest, emotional and laughter filled conversations with my nearest and dearest; something I hope will continue when Covid-19 is in the history books.
Day 1: Campo (Mile: 0) to Hauser Creek (Mile: 15.5)
We can’t believe the day has finally arrived! I barely slept so got up quick and into the shower, the last for a while. I was so nervous I found it hard to eat breakfast and choose tea over a coffee. We were on the road by 07:30 making our way down the coast to San Diego and then making a left inland towards the border. The free flowing highway at rush hour on a Tuesday morning was a reminder that many people were working from home in Southern California.
The southern terminus of the PCT must be one of the most desirable yet unglamorous places one has wanted to be. The desert sand road had turned to a sloppy river bed like state and it was tricky to get the car up to a place where it could be safely parked. The temperature was cooler than we expected so we quickly made some adjustments and made our way to the famous terminus pillars. We got ‘the photo’, signed the log book and honestly answered the questions directed at us by the PCTA representative.
Then, we simply set off. It was cold, cloudy and rain was threatening but we had the biggest grins on our faces. Richard (Tom’s Dad) walked with us for the first couple of miles as we walked back along the trail in the direction that we had driven. We crossed the main road and out into the desert, baron but because of all the rain, unexpectedly green. The path was clearly defined, rolled up, across and over the beautiful landscape. It threatened to rain, we stopped to tog up but then the sun came out and that was that for the day. Sunscreen was reapplied and we were in day 1 bliss, cruising along, passing fellow hikers, sharing names and nationalities. A few passed by us as well including 3 guys together whose excited energy and pure delight of being on trail was reflected in their pace. As the day went on we stopped for photos, talked about potential camping spot options based on our pace and discussed the pros and cons of where we had initially placed items in our packs. For example I could get my water bottle out my bag no problem but couldn’t easily get it back in place without Tom’s help.
Around the 10 mile mark we spotted fellow hikers setting up camp for the evening, just off trail, we waved and smiled knowing there was a possibility we might see them again. We decided to head to Hauser Creek finding a suitable pitch a nice way from the water. Sunset was 18:54 so we didn’t have much time to set up the tent and boil up some water for our first meal on the trail. I chose Mac & Cheese from the variety I had packed for the first 6 nights and added the flavour and the jerky that it came with. The jerky was great but the flavour a tad on the spicy side so I ended up having to water it down a bit. We tidied up camp and snuggled up for our first night on trail just as we lost all the light. Horizontal at 19:30 would be our new norm and apart from writing up a few notes about the day there was nothing much else to do but snooze, listen to the noisy frogs in the creek and grin ear to ear that we were finally here.
Day 2:Hauser Creek (Mile: 15.5) to Somewhere just past Boulder Oaks (Mile: 27.6)
I didn’t really sleep. Excitement, frogs and the rain kept me awake. We set the alarm for 06:00 knowing the sun would rise about 06:54, started packing away what we could inside the tent and then as soon as there was a break in the rain packed the tent down.
We were walking out of camp about 07:15 with all wet weather gear on and a steep climb up and out of the valley, but the prospect of a coffee and a hot snack at the recommended cafe at Lake Morena kept me going. It was tricky underfoot, as we walked up, the rain trickled down the trail. Due to the hike up we stayed warm, Tom’s rain skirt kept me amused as I watched him negotiate the restrictions that come with wearing such an item of clothing. Snacks were more accessible, a lesson from the day before, and we soon learnt which bits of kit were not fully waterproof. As we leveled out, we picked up the pace to try and keep warm but the descent into Lake Morena Campground was slow and cold.
We walked 300m off the trail to the shop and cafe where all the chairs were on the tables, they were open for take out only. This made me sad because in any other year this would have been the place where we would have shared a table with other hikers as they seeked shelter from the cold and wet. We would have chatted, shared stories and discussed our first impression of the PCT, got to learn names, nationalities and the nuances of our fellow hikers. But instead we waited as long as we dared inside the building for our toasted sandwiches to be made, spoke a few words to our fellow hikers arriving or departing outside and made a beeline for the camp ground toilet block where we sheltered under the overhang to eat our sandwich, finish our coffee and use the facilities.
We decided to carry on into the rain and aimed for a camp spot about 6 miles away.
It was easy marching terrain and we kept warm. We passed under a highway where 4 of our fellow hikers were sheltering from the rain and warming up. We had a snack, took a pic and off we set.
Almost immediately we came across a small stream that had burst its banks and had no choice but to wade through mid calf depth with the aid of some bits of wood. The path itself was acting as a channel and so we had no option but to walk through the mini stream. When we got to the campsite it was closed and we were not sure if we were allowed to set up camp, so we filled a bottle of water from the tap and carried on in a window of beautiful warm sunshine peeking through the cloud. A Gopher had also felt the heat of the sun and was pushing the dirt from it’s little hole, we watched amused for a good 5 minutes. We walked about a mile further and came across Gunner who was just setting up camp, we found a similar pitch nearby that was cosy but would do.
Taking advantage of the break in the weather we put up our very soggy tent and just about got wet stuff off, into the tent and sorted before the rain started to fall again. We ate snacks and the rest of our cheese and ham toastie for dinner, as neither of us was keen to get the stove out in the pissing rain, and looked up the weather prospects for the next day. It was due to dip below freezing overnight, the rain was to turn to snow and continue falling through most of the next day. Our biggest fear of having to wake, put on wet clothes and shoes and hike out into further wet weather was going to be how our day 3 in the desert began. It rained pretty much all night, I dashed out about 04:00 for a wee and we were in the cloud but no sign of snow.
Day 3: Somewhere just past Boulder Oaks (Mile: 27.6) to Mount Laguna (Mile: 41.5)
By 06:00 the temperature had dropped and it took a little bit more motivation to get going. Again we packed up what we could from inside the tent, waited for a gap in the rain and pulled down the tent in the relative dry but it was sopping and poor Tom had to carry the extra weight. As we walked out of camp about 08:00 it was actually dry but cold, we traversed along the hill side and enjoyed a gradual up and down. The view was fantastic and we enjoyed the care free, easy walking, passing and being passed by fellow PCT hikers. The rain did however return turning to snow as we climbed and before we knew it we were hiking through a winter wonderland.
The trail was beautiful but tough going, the snow underfoot made progress a bit slow. It snowed then stopped, snowed then stopped. My hood went up and down many times, but my sunglasses were out and the views were amazing. The last section towards Mount Laguna was through the trees and as the sun was shining the heavy chunks of snow were falling off the trees. My fingers and toes were soaked through and quite cold by this point so it was a relief to spot the Mount Laguna campsite through the trees. Mount Laguna offers 2 indoor options for hikers to stay and because of the -10 temperatures forecast for that evening we had reserved a ‘Tiny House’.
A big wendy house with bed, shower and toilet it really was tiny but was perfect for what we needed. The Pine House Cafe and Tavern around the corner was offering take-away burritos so we treated ourselves to something warm and easy. Our evening was spent prioritising what bits of kit we really wanted to try and dry out and rotating them in front of the tiny little electric heater.
We acknowledged that we had not done the mileage that we had hoped for in our first 3 days so re-evaluated what food we had left and how far we had to travel before picking up the resupply box that we had sent to Warner Springs. It was agreed we did have just enough food thanks to our toasted sandwich and burrito purchases but would need to carry a full 4 litres of water that we filled up before bed. With our next 2 days planned out and the weather looking dry I was excited about the prospect of 2 long hard days of hiking to catch up the miles and the prospect of camping without the rain and some great views.
Just as we were going to bed the PCTA emailed to ask us to please postpone our PCT plans, we sleepily agreed we would head to Warner Springs and reassess the situation from there.
Day 4: Mount Laguna (Mile: 41.5) to Penny Pines Trailhead (Mile: 48.7)
The alarm went at 06:00 and Tom was not busily packing up his bag like he said he was going to be. He asked me how I had slept, which had been fabulous since I was warm in a bed, I returned the question. His answer was not the same, he had not slept well and had been thinking. He asked me what we would do if we fell ill, we barely had enough food to get us to our resupply box and calling on someone to collect us would expose our family, some of whom are high risk. He asked me what if we were carrying the virus without knowing, went to resupply in a remote town and unknowingly passed it on to a vulnerable community.
It was clear these questions had been buzzing round all night, it was clear the seed had been planted and even if we carried on it would not be the same. I couldn’t give a reasonable answer to the questions, the PCTA had asked us to leave and their reasoning was fair. It was and still is our social responsibility to reduce the chance of the virus spreading. We cried, we packed our things, we cried and agreed on a spot to be picked up from, we cried and hoped that we may be able to return to the trail in a month or two.
By 09:00 we left our Tiny House and walked out into brilliant sunshine, the snow deep and crisp the temperature -1, it was magical. We had arranged to be picked up 7 miles down the trail at a trailhead and knowing it was going to be our last day on the PCT for now we soaked up every second. The views of the dry desert from the snowy ridge were incredible.
The sheer vastness of the landscape was amazing. We enjoyed the chance to reapply sunscreen, be back down to 2 layers and take photos and videos at every corner. The morning went fast and too soon we were at the trailhead. Just 3 and half days in and only 48.7 miles covered and we were back in the same car that had dropped us off.
There are no words to describe the feeling of disappointment; when you pluck up the courage to pursue an ambitious dream, you work hard, save hard, plan hard to make that dream a reality. You start living the dream and then you are brutally shaken awake by a worldwide crisis that is so much bigger than the dream of two individuals.
“Be strong enough to let go,be wise enough to wait for what you deserve”
Chamonix was buzzing when we got off the bus at the top of the high street. We had to walk through town to get to our AirBnB and were immediately reminded that one of the biggest ultra-marathon races in the world was about to begin. The flags displaying the logos of this year’s sponsors lined the streets that were full of ultra-runners, those from mainland Europe insist on walking round dressed as they will in 3 days time when the race actually starts, and all the outdoor seats were taken by beer drinking, pasta eating runners.
For once we were not going to be joining them, but our own adventure we were still going to have, the Haute Route, 180km in 10 days lay ahead.
We spent a day enjoying the atmosphere of the famous race, took the cable car as high as we could to see the mighty Mont Blanc, and walked up to a popular spot to watch the professional hang gliders run off the edge with a variety of clientele strapped to their front. Selfie sticks and all.
Day 1 Chamonix to Trient: 21km Height Gain: 1167m Height Loss: 925m
We began standing outside the boulangerie waiting for it to open, we left with coffee and croissant in hand for breakfast, baguette strapped to the bottom of the Osprey where one would expect to see a roll mat and cheese and ham to accompany inside the very top of the bag.
Our packs were just 36 and 42 litres respectively and contained the basics in the form of long sleeve base layer, down jacket, sleep wear and waterproofs, sleeping bag, water and food.
We were wearing shorts, t-shirt, hat, sun cream and big smiles as we set off through the sleepy town.
Kev Reynold’s Cicerone was to be our bible for the next 10 days, fabulously describing what to expect ahead. Beautifully laying out a 12 day trek that we confidently ignored in order to fit with our remaining annual leave and we set off with our paper bags full of pastries with 2 days worth of recommended hiking to complete in one.
The first few km was a beautiful flat path through the trees and out of the town, we crossed the railway and took a beautiful steady climb towards Le Tour, a small ski village.
We reached the bottom of the working lifts and although tempted continued up zig zagging up the trail with the lift passing over us every now and then. At the top we joined the tourists and the mountain bikers who had got the lift and enjoyed our baguette and cheese on a picnic bench in the sun. We then continued up to the col, the top and the border with Switzerland. We fuelled up on snacks at the top then started the gruelling downhill back to the tree line and zig zagged endlessly through the trees. It felt like it would never end and this was to be a common pattern throughout the trip. We popped out of the trees to a fantastically stereotypically Swiss meadow, lush green with wild flowers, several cows all had a bell and the noise was fabulously echoing through the valley as we lost the sun.
We arrived in the village where there was only really one place to stay and we had booked a couple of beds in a dorm in the attic. We had a shower and then joined the masses for a big communal dinner of soup, salad, meat with rice and chocolate bars.
We sat on long bench tables with a group of Australian school friends who were hiking the route together, but they were taking 14 days and paid someone to cart around their suitcases and meet them for lunches, so all they were carrying was light daypacks. They were fabulous and it made me happy that they were still in touch and going on adventures many years after leaving school. They were all very entertained by a mysterious man of similar age on a motorbike who had no solid explanation as to why he was in the mountains.
Day 2: Trient to Sembrancher: 21km Height Gain: 1386m Height Loss: 1199m
With a long day ahead we asked if some breakfast and packed lunch could be left out for us and we crept out into the cold valley, the sun had yet to hit the village and the ground was wet with dew.
We turned right off the main road out of the village and took a nice gentle route up the through the trees, here we met our first bisse – a man made waterway running directly along side of the path, it was beautiful and had education cards all along the path. We then started to climb and the nice path turned into a more technical one. We were also joined by teams of runners from the Petite Trotte à Léon (PLT) race . They had been out in the mountains for 48 hours and were starting to look a little worse for wear but many passed us up the steep technical path with the beautiful glacier to our right.
As with the day before a steep section saw us over the top of the col where many runners had stopped for a rest and a photo before descending down. We followed them, shouting to the those below when small rocks were dislodged and gave guidance to those who were struggling to navigate the huge boulders that we met about half way down.
Once on easier, boulder free terrain we tucked into our lunch with our feet in a stream, a magical spot that really did feel like something out of a film. We hit the fields and then the lake, but has per the plan had to walk straight through Champex-Lac, the town with the lake, out the other side, traversing high above the valley floor through the green fields to Sembrancher where we passed under the railway and collapsed on the driveway belonging to our AirBnB host.
Our host rushed home from work to let us in, we showered and hobbled out to a nearby restaurant for pasta and pizza with a lovely guy who was also staying with the host. We slept well in a twin room decorated for small children and left early the next day with coffee from his fancy machine and fruit from the fridge.
Day 3 Sembrancher to Cabane du Mont Fort: 15km Height Gain: 1736m
I don’t remember much of the start of the day from Sembrancher but do remember arriving in Le Chable and going to the supermarket to get lunch for that day food as always, being the top priority before ascending upwards. We then headed up through the small streets of the town, the backyards of the houses with chickens and a cow or 2. We both chose the chalet we would buy if we won the lottery and listed the features that each would have. We passed several beautiful churches and fresh water sources and a steep forest section where we passed another couple with the same endpoint as us. We had lunch on a bench on a ski run and then climbed the last section up a wide ski run with a bisse to the left. Cabine du mont fort was fabulous. Traditional, full of character and characters. Tom had a very expensive beer on the terrace and although we were given a dorm for 4 it was ours to ourselves.
It was 5 euros for a shower with soap and towel, perfect as it is never guaranteed the towels would dry by the morning. We met 2 couples over dinner that night one from America and the others from the UK. The next day promised a glacier that one girl had studied at uni and she was keen to see how much it had travelled. A cheer rose as the couple we had passed finally made it just in time for a beer and main course and next day’s weather was the main topic of conversation as the evening went on.
Day 4 Cabane du Mont Fort to Le Chable: 9km Height Loss: 1636m
We woke in the cloud, the visibility was poor and the snow was threatening.
We set off, scrabbling up the boulder field on our hands and knees. After a couple of hours we could barely see each other 5 metres ahead and a near miss due to falling rock was the point where we made the heartbreaking decision to turn around.
We headed down past the hut to the cable car and sulking like 5 year olds made it into Le Chable. We found a room for the night and made a plan for the next day that we hoped would cheer us up.
Day 5 Arolla to La Sage: 10km Height Gain: 215km Height Loss: 554m
We hopped on the first train, joining the school commute to the bigger town of Martigny, scouting out coffee and pastries before picking up a connecting train to Sion. From here we jumped on the 381 up the mountain to the Les Haudere Post Office where the 382 was waiting to take us the rest of the way to Arolla Post Office.
From here we walked the soggy 10km to La Sage, a small, modern town with a couple of small lifts up the mountain. The sun shone in the early evening and this made it hard to see when we opened the door to our dark little guest house. A very small traditional place, with locals staring at the bar, the dorms were fun and creaky with great little windows. It was here that we first met Liz, Chris, Nancy and Tom. Liz and Chris were a couple from the UK, both were vets and had done lots of hiking before. Nancy and Tom were brother and sister from Maine, USA and this was their first trip to Europe.
Day 6 La Sage to Zinal: 15km Height Gain: 1220m Height Loss: 1230m
We rose early trying not to wake our dorm mates with the squeaky floor boards, a cold pretty pathetic breakfast had been left out for us. We ate what we could, took bread and cheese for lunch and headed up behind the cabin into the rain. The rain turned to snow and we joined some cows in a traditional barn to regroup. We decided it was safe to carry on as we could still see the path but not much more in front of us. We passed through Col du Tsate at 2868m to the most amazing view of Lac de Moiry to our left and Glacier de Moiry to our right. The lake was the most incredible blue, sat perfectly in the valley, opposite to the north was the next Col de Sorebois at almost the same height as we were, 2847m, it was covered in snow as we were on the other side. We traversed along the edge towards the dam, zig zagging our way down through the snow and then into the puddles lower down. We made it to the wall and traversed across its length, the acoustics eary, the sheer size and weight of water it was resisting was incredible.
We got to the car park on the other side and ate our sandwiches. I checked my phone and found a text from my mum to say my darling Grandfather, ‘Taid’ to me, had passed away. The rest of the hike was up and over the next Col back into the snow and suddenly I didn’t feel like tackling that challenge. Tourists could drive up to this point to see that damn and we learnt a bus came up from the village so I waited for the next bus tasked with finding us a bed for the night in Zinal whilst Tom continued up and over as per the route. I found a cosy place in the centre of town, it was still quite early and they were in down time but agreed we could stay. I dropped off my bags, hung up wet kit in the dry room and chilled in the bar area with a hot chocolate and my memories of Taid.
Tom arrived safely having had a great time in the snow and we settled in for the evening opting in for the traditional fondue. Tom and Nancy joined us that night and we made our way through the homemade flavoured vodkas the hut had on offer.
Day 7 Zinal to Gruben: 14km Height Gain: 1199m Height Loss: 1052m
We walked through town picking up supplies from a big supermarket on the way dreaming again about a chalet in Zinal, that we could rent out. We joined the route which started beautifully through a forest and saw signs for the Zinal trail race that of course Tom knew all the facts about. The trail then opened out into a big bowl, and we walked up in the shadow of the mountain. The path turned from lush green to boulders and we traded with Liz and Chris all the way up agreeing to meet them for lunch at the top. It was so windy on the col we had to shelter further down on the other side. This side was in the sun and you could see all the little streams running into the valley. Tom wanted to get some over head shots with the drone so I walked slowly down and he caught me up. Nancy and Tom then caught us up and took our photo at various points along the last section of the day.
We hit a road and found the hut where we had a couple of beds in a dorm room, it was packed with picnic tables outside with big brollies like a beer garden in the UK. The days mountain had also meant we crossed the border from French speaking Swiss to German. We are on long tables for dinner and snuggled up together on mattresses on the floor in the roof of the big hotel like building.
Day 8
Gruben to St Niklaus: 16km
Height Gain: 1072m Height Loss: 1767m
The day was beautiful and the walk was stunning. We started through the lush forest path, up and over the Augstbordpass at 2894m and then a slow but steady, single file shuffle along the shelf of grey rock that had plenty of reminders that rock fall and landslides were very much a risk. We passed a couple with a small child in a carrier and discovered they were also doing the trek over a longer period. We had huge admiration for what they had achieved and talked about how they had reassured us that the arrival of small humans wasn’t necessarily the end of hiking trips.
We approached the end of the grey wall of rock onto some flat green land and ate with a fabulous view down the valley knowing that the Matterhorn was just around the corner. I had decided this was the perfect place to be proposed to and therefore was extremely disappointed after waiting patiently for Tom to capture the view on the drone I started the descent into the valley ringless.
Katie looking down the valley towards Zermatt
The final stretch started off idyllic, beautiful spring meadow like flowers, tall alpine trees and I saw some beautiful butterflies. But the switchbacks soon lost their appeal and we caught up with Liz and Chris, they had slowed down and we saw that Chris was carrying Liz’s bag on his shoulders. We stopped to help and at this point discovered Liz was pregnant and her calves were cramping horribly. I gave her a re-hydration sachet and we walked together for the remaining few kilometres. We had both reserved a private room in a guest house in town and it turned out to be more than a guest house. Our room was huge, there was an incredible shower and a view up of what we had just climbed down. We met in the pizza place attached to the guest house and just as we were tucking in the family of 3 arrived, we joked together how Liz would be doing the same very soon.
Day 9 St Niklaus to Europa Hut: 18km Height Gain: 1663m Height Loss: 570m
We smugly left St Niklaus having had an incredible night’s sleep and a luxury breakfast that I remember featured smoked salmon. The start of the walk was equally as smug with a gentle rise through the fields, with a fabulous view upwards of the snow and higher mountains, with the main road through the valley below. 7km in St Bernard points us towards our first sight of the Matterhorn and although quite small at this point, at last we can see our end point. Things turned a bit gray after this and the next 7km felt like it took forever, traversing slowly and cautiously along the trail that has been forced across a very rough and steep slope. For the first time we experience boulders and scree at the same time and are encouraged by signage not to hang around and proceed with speed and caution. The path had however been beautifully marked for the next day’s Monte Rosa trail race so we felt lucky that navigation and picking the best route in this new territory was something we didn’t have to think too much about, but puzzled over how racers would navigate this difficult terrain in the dark on practically all fours. The last couple of km’s to the Europa Hut we practically skipped, it was so nice to feel stable and walk upright again, we spotted the hut from quite far back and the famous bridge that connects it to the day hikers from Zermatt.
Europa Hut
The hostel was buzzing with activity and we claimed ourselves a couple of beds in the bunk room that would be host to close to 40 of us all squished in with more down stairs in the dining hall on mattresses. The shower was 5 euros for 2 minutes of water, we shared a minute each and joined those who had been hiking for days, day hikers and race supporters for dinner on the bench seats.
Day 10 Europa Hut to Zermatt Height Gain: 348m Height Loss: 962m
Once Tom had successfully ensured he had Europe’s longest suspension bridge to himself by bouncing his way along, I don’t think we lost sight of the Matterhorn all the way to Zermatt.
What a view!
We had a lovely relaxed day, taking photos of the view every turn thinking it would be our last, we enjoyed the luxury of a picnic bench to eat our last lunch on the trail and descended through the trees and the very green ski slopes towards the sound of the Matter Vispa River. Our treat was a lovely hotel in Zermatt, a room with a bathtub in the middle and a naked sauna as is the way in Switzerland.
We were knackered, achy and sore, but had had the most incredible 10 days full of literal, physical & emotional ups & downs.
