House Warming BBQ - Kate Millar's - Southampton

We were planning to get up early and go for a very long walk, but we both woke up feeling a bit groggy from the night before. I think Tash was suffering slightly, although she wasn't about to admit it!

So, instead of heading out at 6.00am, we didn't get going until about 8.30am. We took Bess with us and drove over to Shotover, spending the morning walking up and down the hills there. Tash was probably the slowest I've ever seen her, but I didn't mind at all—it was quite nice being the one striding off at the front for a change. It was warm, we worked up a decent sweat, and Bess was brilliant, keeping up with everything we threw at her. We ended up doing about three hours before heading home to get cleaned up.

Not long afterwards, Jodie arrived and then Jack drove the four of us down to Southampton to Kate Millar's new house with OJ. It's a lovely place and they should be really pleased with what they've bought.

All the usual suspects were there and Tommy was in charge of the BBQ. Food was good and there were plenty of drinks flowing as everyone settled into the afternoon. Later on we all migrated into the front room to watch the Champions League Final between Arsenal and PSG.

To be honest, it wasn't an enjoyable match. We spent most of the evening sounding like a bunch of old men, talking about how football wasn't like that in our day and complaining about modern players. We left before the end as the game went to extra time, but I listened on the radio on the way home and PSG eventually won on penalties.

Arsenal had won the Premier League this season, but they've not exactly been a popular side. Their time-wasting and gamesmanship can be incredibly frustrating to watch. I suppose if you're an Arsenal fan you probably love it because it gets results, but I can't imagine many neutral supporters were cheering them on.

I slept for most of the journey home as I was feeling pleasantly tipsy by then. Once back, we had a few nibbles, I watered all the plants, and then settled down to watch a couple more episodes of Legends, which I'm really enjoying.

Tash eventually told me to stop messing around and get to bed at about 11.15pm as we had another early start planned the following morning for a proper walk.

A really enjoyable day and evening all round. Great company, good food and drink, and it was lovely seeing Kate and OJ settled into their new home.

Long Training Walk

Woke up around 5.45am, got sorted and then drove out to Christmas Common. Parked up around the corner because the National Trust car park only took cash, but it worked out fine. That said, when we got back there were more cars there and one of them had the rear passenger window smashed in. Most likely they'd left something valuable on display, but what a shame – and out there of all places. I'd be absolutely gutted if that happened to us. Thankfully we'd left nothing in the car, but it's definitely put me off taking Vinnie out there.

We set off and walked (and walked). In the end it was just over 10 miles, mostly up and down hills, although it felt like more downhill than uphill so we'll need to go back and do it in reverse one day. It took us a little over four hours and was really enjoyable. Lovely countryside, some great views and hardly any need to stop. We only paused once for a drink and some sandwiches, so we put in a decent shift and weren't actually too tired by the end of it.

Back home and I was absolutely knackered. The previous couple of nights definitely caught up with me, so I had a bath and then went to bed for an hour or so. Tash headed out with Lucie for Afternoon Tea as part of her 60th birthday celebrations, which left me with the house to myself and a chance to crack on with a few jobs that needed doing.

Didn't do a great deal in the evening. Just took it easy, pottered about, and then headed off to bed fairly early.

I really hope we've been doing enough training for the Alps hike – it's only four weeks away now and suddenly feels very close indeed.

End of day summary

A productive and active day centred around a 10-mile hike from Christmas Common. The walk took over four hours and provided some lovely scenery, good exercise and another useful step towards preparing for the Alps. A smashed car window in the parking area was a reminder to be careful where valuables are left, but thankfully it wasn't our problem. The afternoon was spent recovering from a busy few days, catching up on jobs around the house and enjoying a quiet evening. A good balance of exercise, productivity and recovery – and another reminder that the Alps are coming around very quickly.

Marbella Trip - Day 4 - Hike and Homeward Bound

Last day today — and what a brilliant few days it’s been.

We got up, finished off the remaining healthy breakfast food we had in the apartment, packed everything up and managed to leave by the 10.00am checkout deadline. We still had a little time to spare, so sat by the pool for about 45 minutes before setting off for Caminito del Rey, the gorge walk we’d booked tickets for around 90 minutes away.

I was already conscious of the time, whereas Jack wanted to stop for coffee and toilet breaks along the way. I kept pushing us onwards and, to be fair, it was probably just as well because otherwise we’d have been properly late.

We parked at the finish car park after what felt like an eternity stuck behind a coach on the winding mountain roads. From the roadside we got our first glimpse of the walk itself — narrow pathways clinging to the side of the gorge. It looked both spectacular and slightly intimidating at the same time. Instantly knew this was going to be good.

We caught the shuttle bus to the entrance and had to abandon our usual British politeness slightly to make sure we squeezed onto it. Even then we initially went the wrong way trying to find the entrance path and had to ask for directions from staff and guides. Thankfully, although Jack was technically late for the guided tour meeting point, nobody seemed bothered and he was allowed to rejoin us anyway.

We’d booked guided tickets but decided not to stick with the group and instead walked the route ourselves, which I think was definitely the right call. The guided groups were large and moving slowly and, if I’m honest, most of the information was probably the sort of thing you can read online afterwards anyway.

The walk itself was absolutely spectacular. Truly stunning. At points the water below us was over 100 metres down and the cliffs towered another 300–400 metres above our heads. Everywhere you looked there was another incredible view. We stopped constantly for photos because every bend in the path seemed to reveal something new.

We overtook most of the guided groups as we went and never once felt rushed or like we were missing out. There was one bridge crossing that was particularly exposed and windy which added a bit of excitement, and towards the end we even spotted rock climbers scaling the cliffs which looked absolutely terrifying.

What was pleasantly surprising at the end was that the little food and souvenir huts there — like Christmas market cabins — were actually very reasonably priced rather than the usual tourist rip-off. We grabbed some food and a beer and sat relaxing for a while. The whole walk had taken around two and a half hours in total, which was shorter than expected and nowhere near as physically demanding as we’d imagined. It was more of a scenic stroll than a serious hike, albeit one with some unbelievable scenery.

After that Jack drove us onwards to the mountain town of Mijas. On the way we accidentally went through another tiny village with absurdly narrow roads that caused a fair bit of stress, but Mijas itself was just as tight in places. Still, Jack handled it all well and eventually managed to get us parked.

The town itself was lovely. Whitewashed buildings everywhere, narrow streets, loads of restaurants and little leather and souvenir shops. Tash bought a couple of bags and Jack successfully haggled for a black leather belt. I behaved myself and bought nothing.

We found a pizzeria for dinner and I somehow ended up having a banana split afterwards which felt fully justified after all the walking. Around 8.00pm we headed back towards the airport and dropped the hire car off after filling it with petrol. Amazingly, considering how much driving we’d done, it only cost about £25 to refill — and Jack insisted on paying for that too.

The hire car company were excellent actually — no issues at all and I’d happily use them again. The airport process was equally painless and before long we were sat in the lounge having coffees waiting for the flight.

Unfortunately we then discovered we were on pretty much the last flight leaving the airport that night and it got delayed by around an hour. Frustrating because we already knew we’d be getting home incredibly late anyway. Nothing to do other than scroll social media, listen to music and carry on with my audiobook — Rogue Heroes — which is proving every bit as good as the TV series based on it.

Eventually boarded, managed to get some sleep on the flight and then flew through customs once back in the UK. The courtesy parking people were brilliant and had the car waiting for us despite it being around 3.00am. Naturally, Jack announced he was starving again, so we stopped at McDonald’s where he demolished three Chicken Mayo burgers before I drove us the rest of the way home.

We finally got into bed around 4.15am — with work only a few hours away.

Overall though, this was a genuinely brilliant mini-break. I honestly don’t mind working remotely whilst everyone else is relaxing by the pool or sleeping in the sun. The alternative would probably be not going at all because I don’t really want to burn through annual leave on shorter trips like this. Being able to work during the day and still properly enjoy the evenings and weekends feels like the perfect compromise. It’s the same with Menorca, Cornwall or wherever else we might end up next. Remote working really does make me appreciate both my job and the flexibility it gives me.

Spending the time with Jack was another huge part of what made it so good. He can definitely be opinionated and a bit of a know-it-all at times, but he backs himself and usually knows what he’s talking about. Tash challenges him far more than I do — sometimes I just switch off and let them debate it out between themselves! But it’s obvious he genuinely enjoys spending time with us and he was incredibly generous throughout the trip, constantly insisting on paying for things when we were more than happy to cover them ourselves. That was really appreciated.

What a fantastic break it’s been. I’d happily go back tomorrow and do exactly the same all over again.

End of Day Summary:
An absolutely perfect final day. Caminito del Rey completely lived up to expectations and Mijas was a lovely unexpected bonus before heading home. The whole trip struck a brilliant balance between relaxation, activity, work and quality family time. One of those breaks that leaves you tired when you return — but very, very glad you went.

Very Early Start to the Day - 5.15am Morning Walk!

Was awake at 4.45am so thought, “Sod it!” and got up. Left the house by 5.15am and headed off walking into town. I’m really enjoying a podcast at the minute called The Rest is History which, as the name suggests, goes over historical events, and I spent most of the walk listening to episodes about the Romans and Hannibal of Carthage fighting. Really interesting and a genuinely rewarding listen.

I did a loop down to St Giles and came back through Summertown, grabbing a coffee from Costa on the way. Did plenty of zig-zagging about and by the end of it I’d walked 7.75 miles in about 2.5 hours, so a very good start to the day. Got home and logged on for work by 7.45am feeling quite pleased with myself.

Work itself was busy enough, mainly because Microsoft had released something that completely buggered up SharePoint permissions for us. Fun and games as always.

Got packed and sorted for Marbella tomorrow as well. Need to work Thursday and Friday whilst we’re out there, but then we’ll have the weekend properly which should be really nice.

Walked Bess later on, so even more steps added to the total, then after dinner we demolished our final Easter egg — a really good one from Charl. We settled down and watched Silent Witness whilst Jack was out at football.

Early night in the end. Felt tired after such a long day, but productive and satisfying all the same.

End of Day Summary:
A long but productive day from start to finish. Lots of walking, plenty achieved with work and getting ready for Marbella, and a nice quiet evening to round things off. Feeling tired, but in a good way.

Jack's Birthday Celebrations Meal - beginning with a long morning hike

I was a bit nervous about today if I’m honest – we were meeting Maysie for a hike and, knowing how fit he is, I wasn’t entirely confident about keeping up.

We were up and sorted by about 6.30am, met at McDonald’s in Benson, and then drove a few miles to The Makers Space on the way to Nettlebed. Parked up, got ourselves ready, and set off – in the rain, unfortunately, but we had the gear for it.

Straight away we were walking through rapeseed fields, unbelievably bright yellow – really striking, just a shame the weather didn’t allow for any decent photos.

Steve led the route, one he knew well, and thankfully it was a really manageable pace. It turned into a very enjoyable hike. He’s such an engaging bloke – full of stories and proper enthusiasm for life and experiences. Very inspiring really. He’s done so much, most of it pretty extreme – mountain running, Tough Mudders, that sort of thing. Sounds brilliant… but definitely outside our comfort zone!

It was great to catch up, and I was quietly pleased to be able to keep up with him. I’m sure he dialled it back a bit for us, but if that’s the sort of pace we’ll be doing on the Alps hike, then that’s reassuring. In total it was about 8.75 miles and took us around 2 hours 45 minutes.

Afterwards, we headed into the café where we’d parked – it was absolutely packed by then. Managed to squeeze onto a shared table with other walkers and cyclists, clearly a very popular spot. Said our goodbyes and agreed to sort another walk soon, maybe morning or evening.

Back home, and it was straight into Jack’s birthday celebrations.

We got sorted and then Jodie arrived, and we all headed over to Scenic Saunas in Northleach – same place we went last year for his birthday. Started with tea/coffee (and a cheeky pint for me), then Charl and Miles arrived and we had our hour in the sauna. The lady running it was lovely but incredibly chatty, so the hour absolutely flew by.

Back home again – Charl and Miles went off to his family, and I went to pick up Sue while Mum came over. We had some drinks and nibbles before heading out to The Trout for our 7.00pm booking. Really nice evening – good food, good drinks, and just a great atmosphere all round, Jack even had a glass of red wine (small) and puddings were also ordered. Stayed until about 9.30pm, then Jack drove both Mums home while Tash and I walked back.

Once home, we ended up at the dining table, having a few more drinks and mindlessly scrolling for a bit before Jack and Jodie got back. Then we all sat chatting for ages – one of those easy, wide-ranging conversations putting the world to rights. Really good.

Eventually, it crept up to midnight, and we called it a day. Hopefully Jodie’s fine – she’s in the middle of mocks so probably shouldn’t have had more than one drink, but she knows her limits and I’m sure she’ll be absolutely fine.

A long, full-on day – but a really good one from start to finish.

End of Day Summary:
A brilliant mix of challenge and celebration – a rewarding hike, great company, and a lovely birthday evening for Jack. Long day, but thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end.

Easter Sunday – Helvellyn Hike

Alarm went at 4.00am, showered and shaved, then got Tash up and sorted and we were on the road by 4.35am – not bad at all, only five minutes later than planned… and a lot earlier than Tash had expected! She hadn’t quite clocked the time but it worked in her favour as she managed to sleep most of the way while I listened to my Orphan X book – number three, Hellbent – which I finally finished this week. Four hours of that on the drive was perfect.

We’d been a bit concerned about the weather with Storm Dave hitting over the weekend, but decided to go for it anyway and just be sensible.

After about 4.5 hours we arrived in Glenridding, at the base of Helvellyn in the Lake District. It was a bit rainy, so I took the chance to grab a quick 20-minute snooze. Also picked up a fridge magnet for the van from the souvenir shop, just in case it was shut later. Then we set off.

I’d downloaded a route from Komoot, which we tried to follow, but fairly quickly we went off track and ended up tackling what can only be described as a near-vertical scramble. Definitely not a standard hiking route! It was tough going for nearly an hour – steep, exposed, and not particularly enjoyable. Tash wasn’t impressed (understatement), especially with the weather closing in, but we made it to the top.

At that point we were hit with even stronger winds and hail – not ideal. But after pushing on a bit further we eventually came across a proper path with other hikers casually strolling along… which confirmed we’d taken a completely wrong route up!

From there things improved. On a proper trail, progress was much easier and the weather began to lift on and off. The views were spectacular, especially with patches of snow still on the higher ground. Striding Edge, however, looked pretty intimidating in those conditions, so when we reached the fork we made the sensible call to leave that for another day and took the safer middle path.

Even so, the final push to the summit still involved some scrambling over rocks, and this part was arguably more nerve-wracking with the drops and the wind. At the top, the wind was brutal – easily 50–60mph. I didn’t even want to get my phone out in case it disappeared! We grabbed a few quick photos as there was actually a view (rare!) and then made a swift decision to head back down.

The descent wasn’t as bad as expected, and we settled into the long hike back to the car. Stopped a couple of times for food and to take in the views, and also spotted a much more sensible route we’ll use next time. Whoever created that Komoot route needs to have a word with themselves…

All in all, it was about a 7-hour hike. Back at the car park, I persuaded Tash that a pub stop was essential – and that pint was absolutely spot on. Then we drove about 30 minutes to Keswick and treated ourselves to fish and chips, which we ate at the campsite overlooking the lake – a great little spot.

After getting set up, we went for another walk (as if we hadn’t done enough already!) and then settled into the van for the evening. Got the MiFi going and watched a few episodes of Last One Laughing. It was okay – still enjoyable, but not as strong as the first series, a bit forced in places.

By about 10.00pm we were done. A very long, tiring day – and definitely ready for bed.

End of Day Summary:
A challenging but rewarding day – tough conditions, a dodgy route choice, and some proper scrambling, but incredible views and a real sense of achievement. Finished perfectly with a pint, fish and chips, and a peaceful evening by the lake.

Quiz Night at the White Hart

Up and out at 6.50am with Tash and Bess for the now-regular long walk down to South Parade in Summertown. We did it in 1 hour 7 minutes, which seems to be our benchmark. It’s actually quite satisfying knowing the distance, steps and time so we can judge future walks properly. Feels structured rather than random wandering.

Work was fairly standard but busy — that seems to be the theme lately. No dramas, just plenty to get through.

Finished on time and got ourselves sorted before walking down to John and Pauline’s for dinner. Will was there too, and it was a lovely start to the evening. Pauline produced a chicken and chorizo stew followed by Guinness cupcakes for pudding — she really is an excellent cook. A couple of beers eased us nicely into the evening.

At 7.30pm we wandered up to The White Hart for their monthly quiz night. We’ve decided we’re going to try and make this a regular thing — although we spectacularly failed in January by completely forgetting about it.

Good turnout, busy atmosphere, lots of neighbours there. The quiz itself was tough. Some rounds suited us, others absolutely didn’t — the anagrams were a disaster. Still, we finished 5th out of 9, which felt respectable enough. Only just missed out on £10 for 4th place, so there’s definitely room for improvement.

A few more beers along the way, then home.

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End of Day Summary

A productive, sociable Monday. Early steps, solid workday, great food and a competitive quiz night. A really enjoyable start to the week — and nice to feel part of the local crowd.

Tree cutting & Tash having brunch with the girls

A bit of a heavy head this morning, but we were both pleasantly surprised that we weren’t feeling too rough.

Up and organised, and keen to get some steps in, we headed back to Wytham Woods Hill. Unfortunately, we hit the usual problem — the road on the Wytham stretch was flooded again and completely impassable on foot. No dramatic Indiana Jones-style crossing attempted; we turned around and headed home to get on with jobs instead.

Tash had arranged with Sharron and Kerry to take Zoe out for brunch, so Zoe and Shaz came by before heading into town. While they were out, I got stuck into converting old videos into digital format. Slow progress, but genuinely lovely seeing the kids back in their primary school days. It does make you wonder where the years have gone.

After that, I tackled the tree in the front garden. Sadly, it’s properly dead. Chainsaw out, job on. I managed to get it down to about a six-inch stump, but the roots are absolutely solid — no chance of digging that out by hand. I gave it a go, but it’s not happening. We’ll either enlist Merlin or consider something more dramatic… controlled burning perhaps.

Ticked off a few other bits and then we headed to Yarnton Garden Centre for a wander. Picked up a dahlia bulb to plant in March — hopefully that’ll bring a bit of colour later in the year.

Back home and Jack arrived, having driven down from Manchester after a week up there. Good to see him and have a proper catch-up over dinner before he headed off to see Jodie. All seems well on that front, which is reassuring.

We carried on pottering and getting organised for the week ahead, squeezed in another walk, then settled down to finish Season Two of The Night Manager. Good entertainment, and clearly set up nicely for a third series.

Bed by about 9.30pm — tired after a full few days, but a productive one.

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End of Day Summary

A steady reset day. Exercise (almost), jobs done, memories revisited, tree dismantled, and family caught up with. Productive, reflective, and nicely rounded off with an early night.

Zoe's Birthday celebrations

No golf this morning — no surprise there, it’s been absolutely pouring with rain.

I woke around 7.15am. Not a bad sleep all things considered, especially given it was on the sofa with barely a blanket. The room was warm though, so it was perfectly manageable. Had some breakfast and coffee and watched the news before the rest of the house stirred.

By about 8.00am Tash and the kids emerged. Got them sorted with breakfast and we played a bit of Uno. Ivy was brilliant with them — naturally patient and helpful. She’ll make a cracking babysitter one day.

Jess arrived bang on time at 8.45am to take over with the kids. I took Ivy to her swimming lesson, dropped her off, then headed back home.

Pottered around sorting bits in the house before heading out for a long walk. “Long” is relative at the moment — just over an hour — but it’s consistent and that’s what matters. I’ll build it up again soon. Time under the belt is the key.

Back home in relentless rain, so outdoor plans were off the table. I decided to tackle the tech instead. Tried reconnecting the VHS recorder — complete failure. Moved onto the DVD player and, after a lot of swearing and cable swapping, finally got it working. Small victory.

Tash had taken Zoe out for a birthday coffee and catch-up, so I settled in with the Six Nations. Italy beating Ireland was a surprise, and England thrashed Wales — which made for entertaining viewing.

Then it was into hosting mode. Mum arrived at 5.00pm, followed by Charlotte, then Miles, plus Zoe and Niamh. Tash had cooked a curry and we all settled in around the table. What followed was one of those unexpectedly brilliant evenings — loads of chat, plenty of drinks, and a lot of laughter. Everyone got a bit tipsy and it just flowed. Properly good fun.

We brought out birthday cake for Zoe and an early one for Miles (his is Monday). Charlotte was driving, so she took Zoe and Niamh with her when they left — but not until about 11.00pm, so it certainly wasn’t an early finish.

Cleared up, watched a bit of Match of the Day, and then finally into bed.

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End of Day Summary

Rainy, cosy, and unexpectedly brilliant. From sofa sleep and tech battles to family curry, cake and proper laughter. One of those simple but genuinely memorable evenings.

Scotland Trip – Day 3 – The Climb Up Ben Nevis

Woke up fairly early and, typically, the weather had taken a turn for the worse — low cloud cover, rain, and generally gloomy skies. Not exactly the ideal conditions for tackling Ben Nevis, but there we were.

Had breakfast, packed up our gear, and drove the 8 miles into Fort William to find parking. Arrived around 9.30am, but the visitor centre car park was absolutely rammed — no chance of getting in. Luckily, just 100 metres down the road, we found a farmer’s field offering cheaper parking. Perfect result!

Waterproofs on, bags packed, and before starting the climb we popped into the visitor centre for a quick look around and grabbed a souvenir fridge magnet. Then we were off.

The trail was busy, which wasn’t surprising as it was the Bank Holiday — people everywhere, from all over the world, all sorts of nationalities and backgrounds. It was actually really interesting to see.

Thankfully, the rain eased off quite quickly, and before long we were too hot and started shedding layers as we continued the climb. But wow… it was hard work. I really struggled right from the start. Tash was much better, but she stuck with me, matching my super-slow pace — the exact same “Kilimanjaro pace” I adopted back then. I just couldn’t go any quicker, and I know exactly why: zero training. My fault entirely.

We stopped loads of times, not to eat, just to rest and catch our breath. The mountain felt relentless — the path just kept going, disappearing steeply into the clouds above us. And with the low visibility up there, it felt endless. This was our third peak in our “three peaks” adventures, and once again the weather had stitched us up. I’ll be honest — I was fed up and doing a fair bit of moaning and groaning on the way up.

After a 4.5-hour slog, we finally reached the summit. There was a 30-minute wait just to take the classic summit photo — completely pointless but, of course, we queued and got it anyway. Then it was time to start the long descent.

The journey down took about 3 hours, partly because the weather finally improved a little. The clouds parted here and there, and for the first time we got glimpses of the stunning views we’d been missing — absolutely breathtaking. It was a bittersweet reminder of “what could have been” if the weather had been kinder.

Once at the bottom, we headed straight to the Inn at the Foot of Ben Nevis for a well-earned drink — went down a treat. Then we drove back to the campsite, absolutely shattered but happy to be done.

Tash sorted dinner, we both cracked open a drink, and we just sat outside overlooking the loch as the sun slowly set. The aches were kicking in, but it was peaceful, calm, and a really lovely evening to unwind after such a big day.

A good day overall — glad I did it, proud to have ticked off Ben Nevis, but once again my lack of preparation left me struggling and, honestly, a little embarrassed. 

When will I EVER learn?!

Scotland Trip – Day 2

The alarm went off at 5:50am after a pretty rough night’s sleep, so getting going was a bit of a struggle. Finally managed to get up around 6:20am, skipped breakfast and coffee, packed up, dropped some money in the honesty box, and hit the road again.

Stopped at Loch Lomond around 8:00am, which was absolutely stunning. We parked right by the water and worked from the van with the most beautiful view imaginable. Had a lovely FaceTime chat with Jack and Jodie, who are still out in Sri Lanka. Great to catch up — they’re having an amazing time and seem so happy together.

By lunchtime, we were back on the move, making our way to the next campsite. The drive around Loch Lomond and into the Highlands was just breathtaking — towering, rugged mountains, crystal-clear water, and huge sweeping views. A few times we both said it felt like we were in Canada. I really wanted to stop more often, but we were on a bit of a schedule to get back online for work. At least we’ll be coming home the same way, so we can make up for it then.

Arrived at the campsite, which was right on the water’s edge overlooking Loch Linnhe — we’d paid a little extra for the front-row spot, and it was absolutely worth it. Got everything set up quickly and jumped back online for a couple of hours. The MiFi worked brilliantly — lightning-fast speeds, both of us working without a single issue.

Wrapped up work on time — no way I was doing any overtime tonight — and Tash made a great spag bol for dinner. Afterwards, we headed out for a short walk to a nearby waterfall, taking in the amazing views across the Loch in the evening sunshine.

Then we wandered down to the Corran Ferry and crossed over the water, which was fun. On the other side, we stopped at a little brewery for a quick drink — it was buzzing and had a great atmosphere. After that, we made our way back to the ferry (watching the time carefully as the last one back was at 9:20pm!) and stopped off at the Inn by the ferry for one last drink before heading back to the campsite.

Ended the night relaxing by the Loch, soaking up the peace and quiet, and mentally preparing for tomorrow’s big challenge: Ben Nevis.

Honestly, I’m nervous… I’ve done zero training. Wish me luck!

Cinque Terre - Day 5

Woke up feeling fresh and so much better than the past few days. Had coffee and biscuits on the veranda, soaking in the view over the bay. Peaceful and calm - just the two of us and that little hum of morning life below.

Headed to Pirate Café for breakfast, which lived up to its reputation. It’s recommended all over the internet so, unsurprisingly, it was packed, but the food was delicious and definitely worth the wait.

Afterwards, we had a little wander around Vernazza. It’s a small town, so there’s only so far you can go before you loop back to where you started. But the little back alleys are fun to explore - tight lanes with laundry overhead, random doorways, hidden corners… you know the type.

Back in the main square, Tash finally gave in to temptation and tried on a few dresses we’d walked past all week. She ended up treating herself to one and looked great in it. We then went down to the beach for a short rest after sorting our train tickets for later. Spent about 45 minutes relaxing and people-watching before heading back up to shower and get ready.

Then came a bit of drama at the train station - Tash realised she couldn’t find her phone and immediately assumed it had been stolen. Panic mode set in. We checked Find My Phone and saw it pinging at the apartment, so I legged it back through town as fast as we could. Thankfully, it was just sat there on the side where she’d left it. Heart rate finally returned to normal!

Caught the train to Manarola - just nine minutes down the line, though a quick €20 gone. We wandered through the town and made our way up to Nessun Dorma, the restaurant perched above the bay. We’d booked onto a pesto-making class and when we arrived, we were handed aprons and led to our table… along with about 60 others! The whole place had been turned into one big terrace classroom.

The class was brilliant - hands-on, informal, lots of laughs - and the pesto we made was genuinely delicious. The setting, the sun, the views, the atmosphere… it all came together. Coincidentally, the American couple from Marco’s bar the other night were sat behind us, and she kept popping over for a chat and photos. She was loving it too.

Afterwards, we were served a selection of antipasti and a carafe of wine. Music kicked in, there was some spontaneous dancing and general partying - such a great vibe. The two hours flew by.

Afterwards, we wandered around the corner and found a quiet spot near the water’s edge. I sat and caught up on my diary while Tash swam, then sunbathed to dry off. It was a real pinch-yourself kind of moment relaxing with the locals as no one else would think to go around the coastal path that far.

Later in the afternoon we set off for Riomaggiore, walking the high pass. It was only meant to be an hour, but more than half of that was uphill. As usual, sweat pouring off me, but the views from up there were something else again.

We arrived in Riomaggiore and walked around for a bit. Tash couldn’t even remember the town from earlier in the holiday - back when we first passed through on our 5 hour hike and she was deep in hangover territory! We made our way to the water again, then stopped in a bar for a quick drink before grabbing a takeaway pizza and a bottle of Prosecco.

We clambered over the rocks in the harbour to find a spot in the full sun for the sunset. Found a good ledge to balance our plastic glasses and bottle and sat back to enjoy the evening. As the sun started to drop, more and more people arrived with the same idea - although most were just carrying bottles of beer. We easily could’ve cracked open a second bottle but, for once, decided to show a bit of restraint.

The sunset was beautiful. When it was over, we made our way to the station and saw we had a 25-minute wait, so grabbed a beer at a little café nearby. We risked not buying tickets for the return - figured there wouldn’t be a conductor doing rounds on a Sunday night train at 9:30pm. We were right. €20 saved!

Back at the apartment, we finished off the last of the beers we’d bought earlier in the trip and played cards on the veranda.

Honestly, a really fantastic day - one of the best. Full of variety, laughs, little dramas, great food, new faces, and postcard-perfect views. Very memorable.

Cinque Terre - Day 4

This morning was a bit of a struggle. I wasn’t as hungover as Tash had been the other day, but definitely felt heavy-headed and slow to get going. Still, we got ourselves up and moving—today’s plan was another walk, this time to Corniglia. Picked up some focaccia for breakfast (can’t go wrong with that here), then set off.

Not far in, we reached a checkpoint and for a moment thought we’d taken the wrong trail. But all was good, and we began the climb up to the high path. And up. And up. It was relentless - over two hours of steady uphill hiking. I found it pretty tough going. I was drenched in sweat within minutes, but one thing that helped was the peace and quiet. Hardly anyone else on the trail, just us and the mountains. The views, as ever, were spectacular - same sweeping coastline, same glittering sea, but it never gets boring to stop and look.

Eventually we reached the top, the highest point in the area at 600 metres. From there, the trail led us through forest paths, and we started to come across more people and even a few mountain bikers. The descent down to Corniglia was no walk in the park either - really hard on the knees and thighs, and we found out it was busier because the lower trail to Manarola was closed due to a landslide.

Corniglia itself was packed. Tourists everywhere, and not a whole lot to do as it’s perched high on the cliffs without beach access or to the sea. We found a spot to sit down and had some food and a drink in the shade we could find, which helped, but I still wasn’t feeling great. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a hangover - felt more like heatstroke, or at least something close to it. I was flagging badly.

Tash was keen to walk on to Manarola, and normally I’d have been up for it, but the thought of climbing back up that path we’d just descended honestly made me want to cry. So instead we walked down what felt like a never-ending staircase to the train station.

Took the train back to Vernazza, stopped for an ice cream on the way through town, and then straight down to the beach for a dip in the sea. I was still overheating and not myself, so we went back to the apartment where I took a cold shower and crashed for a 90-minute nap. Absolute lifesaver.

In the evening, there was a restaurant right next to our apartment that we’d reserved a table for 7:00pm, and had a beautiful meal overlooking the bay. A lovely setting, decent fish, good wine, and I was feeling much more human again after the rest.

Afterwards, we wandered into town for the sunset and had a gentle stroll around the shops. No drinks tonight—we just headed back to the apartment and sat out on the veranda playing crib until about 10:30pm. An early night by our standards, but definitely needed.

Today was harder than expected. It was only a 3.5-hour walk, but the heat and that constant climbing took it out of me. Hoping for a bit more energy tomorrow.

Cinque Terre - Day 3

Slept really well last night, though we were both stirred around 5:00am by the sound of the trains rumbling through town. Managed to drift back off until 8:30am, which felt like a luxury. We had tea, coffee, and croissants out on the veranda, looking out over the rooftops of Vernazza. The view was brilliant and the morning sun already warm - such a great way to start the day.

At one point, a farmer trundled past us on what can only be described as a mini monorail—a proper little hillside contraption. Only in Italy.

We packed up our bits and set off intending to walk the coastal trail to Monterosso, only to discover it’s one-way during the mornings… in the opposite direction. So, plan B: back to the train station and hopped on a quick train there instead. It worked out just fine.

Monterosso was buzzing - a proper seaside resort feel with sunbeds and umbrellas lining the beach in neat rows. We strolled along the promenade, taking it all in, and eventually found a section of beach that us mere mortals could use without paying a small fortune. It was lovely just to lie back and do absolutely nothing for a bit.

The sun was fierce, so we dipped into the sea a few times. It was freezing. Not the kind of gentle ease-yourself-in kind of cold—the full “brace yourself and dive in” kind. But refreshing, and definitely needed.

Lunchtime came, and I grabbed a couple of focaccia from a nearby place. Delicious. Apparently focaccia is the thing to eat here, and I can see why. Will definitely be sampling a few more varieties while we’re around.

Typing this next bit mid-afternoon as we were getting ready to walk back to Vernazza. We were aiming to leave around 3:00pm for the 2–3 hour hike. Tried to find the high route but couldn’t, so ended up paying for the main coastal trail instead.

It was packed. Lots of people heading towards us, which on those narrow paths meant constantly stopping to let others pass. We got stuck behind a slow group for a bit, but eventually got ahead and found our stride. We definitely prefer the quieter high trails where it’s just us and the views - but this route still delivered. Challenging enough, and we made good time.

First thing we did on arrival? Beers. Sat by the quay and drank them in minutes - so we marched straight back up the hill for round two.

Back at the apartment, we showered and got ready for the evening. Cracked open another beer on the veranda, music playing, sun dipping - one of those perfect little moments. Later we headed into town again for food. I went for fish and chips, Tash had calamari and chips, and we sat with a beer watching the sun set into the sea. Bliss.

Afterwards, we stopped by a small bar I’d had my eye on all day, and it didn’t disappoint. Tash ordered a couple of cocktails made to her liking while we chatted to three Austrian women and then an Irish family. I must admit, I got a bit tipsy by the end - okay, more than a bit - but it was a great end to a full day.

We eventually wandered home and crashed straight into bed. Another long one in the legs. To be honest, I didn’t expect these hikes to be quite as tough as they’ve been. Makes me feel a little guilty I didn’t research them more thoroughly. 

But still—no regrets.

Cinque Terre - Day 2

We were awake early, though neither of us exactly sprang out of bed. Tash was nursing a hangover and I had a bit of a heavy head myself—not too bad, just enough to remind us of the night before. We packed up our things and checked out, then left our bags on the quay by the boat ticket office, fingers crossed they’d still be there later.

We popped into the supermarket to stock up on supplies before catching the boat. It turned up on time and the crossing to the next town took about 30 minutes. Unfortunately, the sway of the boat didn’t sit well with Tash’s hangover, and she ended up being sick—poor thing.

Once we arrived at Riomaggiore, we had a little wander around the town to get our bearings, then set off on the hiking trail. The start was brutal—very steep and pretty hard-going. We were both sweating like mad within minutes, me more so as per usual. A small church gave us a good excuse to pause, then we carried on. The trail evened out into more manageable ups and downs, and while still challenging, it wasn’t as punishing as that first climb.

I had a few comments on my Lord of the Rings t-shirt from fellow hikers, which was a nice little boost. We made regular stops for food, drink, and to take in the incredible views of the coastline—absolutely stunning. It took us around five hours in total. It was tough going, but rewarding, and the terrain reminded me a lot of other recent hikes we've done. Familiar, but still a test.

When we got back to Porto Venere, we were relieved to find our bags exactly where we’d left them. From there, we jumped straight onto the boat to Vernazza, where we’ll be staying for the next four nights. We met our host, Elena and found the place easily—tucked away from the main hustle of town, which suits us perfectly. Lovely little setting.

We settled in for a bit—Tash sunbathed and read, and I just flopped out and wasted a bit of time scrolling on my phone. Then we got ourselves ready for our 7:00pm dinner reservation. It was a close call - the restaurant looked closed at first, but thankfully they let us in. Turned out a reservation was essential. The food was great, but we didn’t get a prime spot to enjoy the sunset, which was a bit of a shame.

We did, however, meet a really friendly couple from Denmark and had a good chat with them between courses. After dinner, we headed down to the quay and grabbed a couple of drinks just in time to catch the sunset properly from there. Vernazza is a gorgeous place - we were both really happy with it.

We had a little explore around the town afterwards, soaking up the atmosphere, then grabbed a couple of beers to take back to the apartment. We ended the day sitting on our veranda, sipping our drinks and relaxing under the evening sky. Brilliant day. Absolutely shattered.

Camping for the weekend - Devon

So we had a nice morning, bit of breakfast and jump in the hot tub as it had been left on all weekend so had to make use of it.

Then got a few things sorted in the morning and it felt like Emily was trying to move things along so that they could make their way back to Manchester so we went to the cafe on the A40 near Eynsham (really quirky place) to get coffees and then off to the Bluebell woods for a quick walk around there.

Then it was back to the cars by about 1.00pm and then we all went off our different ways, Mum home, Lewis and Emily up North and us down to Devon.

We went past Burford and joined the M5 that way - the road and traffic down to Devon was fine and we were soon arriving and Tim and Chrissie's house where we received our usual warm welcome - lovely to see them and catch up. After about an hour or so we then jumped in the cars and drove to their local beach/cove that they really like, walked through a smugglers tunnel and then across the beach and then off to another beach (Shaldon) which is their favourite and is separated us from Teignmouth on the other side of the estuary and we had a pint in the FBI pub (The Ferry Boat Inn) which was lively and they told us tales of what it's like there in the summer - can imagine it's very popular.

As part of our chats we found out that Tim is performing with his band at Lattitude this summer - so we'll have to try and see him there, but it would also be good to get down to Shaldon beach etc too. Perhaps we'll do so on a tour that we keep saying we'll do!

Once that was done we walked back to our cars and said farewells and then we set off for our campsite that was about 30 mins away. Stopped for a burger first and then found the campsite hidden away, got there about 8.00pm but very nice and we got sorted.

Walked Bess and didn't take long to get ourselves into Camping mode and all settled in. I got the Mifi out and tested it, ended up using it all weekend as it was super fast and better than the phone connection - really pleased with it.

Sunday we had breakfast and then set off on a hike for Broadsands beach, nice little place and then walked the coastal path towards Paignton, caught sight of the steam train and was on the bridge when it went past smothering us in it's smoke - that was call - good video. 

The coastal path was nice and lots of travellers there too, carried Bess up some of the steeper steps - bless her! Went past a few other beaches and eventually got to Paignton, had coffee and our sandwiches which Tash had made. Felt like we'd walked ages and I started checking Uber - would have cost £5 to get home - was tempted! Anyway, walked through Paignton - proper seaside place - chavvy! Then we made our way back to the campsite - wasn't so bad, worked out at about 12 miles in the end.

I got chicken curry on the go and we had a nice dinner and then sorted out the bed and watched a film in the van - Life List, proper chick-flick but I did enjoy it even though we could tell all the things that were going to happen. We then watched a couple more episodes of Prison Break - getting close to the end of the first season at long last - it's been a slog!

Anyway, lights out about 11.15pm

Decent nights sleep, bit of breakfast and then packing things away. Campsite said it was fine to leave the van for a bit as we went for a walk and that was a good idea - went to Stoke Gabriel - more of a town than village - such a great find too. Down by the River Dart and we had coffee and then made our way back across farmer's fields and then set off. 

What should have been about 3 hour drive took well over 4.5hrs - as predicted the traffic was very busy and not enjoyable. Anyway, got home in the end, but tired. Tash unloaded everything and I went to sleep for an hour with the intention of running but I couldn't be bothered. So had dinner and sorted a few things out at home and then watched TV and went to bed.

A long but very enjoyable and packed weekend.

We have loads coming up too so will be very, very busy indeed!

Scafell Pike

The alarm went off at 5.25am as planned and we got up and sorted - made hot drinks and left Bess in the bedroom but I had doubts that she'd stay quiet in there for long, and Lewis confirmed in the evening when we returned that he had her in their bedroom not long after we'd left!

We drove over to Jack's house and got there bang on 6.30am as planned but he made us wait 15 minutes! Irritated me..but he'd not got in from the boxing event until 1.30am so fair enough. He went in the back and went straight to sleep and Tash slept in the front as I drove the next 2.5hrs up North and into the Lake District. 

The last hour of driving was painful as it was along these tiny, winding roads that just seemed so needless but then we were beside a lake and the views were stunning, I was in awe of people that were just pitched up and camping there, I definitely need to look up whether it's legal or not as it was beautiful.

We got to the car park and got sorted no problem and were on the move by 9.45am, even after 100yrds I was puffing and we had a stop a couple of times to remove layers as in the car park it was quite chilly but the walk was immediately upwards, and this was the theme for the whole hike, not once was there any level ground, it was steep uphill all the way. 

I was struggling to be honest, the sweat was pouring off me and I had to stop so many times, I just wasn't up to it, very disappointing to be so unfit, not good at all. Anyway, I trudged along slow and steady (ish) and as we progessed it got mistier as we ascended into the clouds and it got windier and colder. We were well prepared and got the layers out so it wasn't a problem, but seeing some of the people go past us I culdn't believe how little or flimsy clothes and walking shoes they were wearing.

We made it to the top after about 2.5hrs and took some photos of course and made our way down the way we came as we were on a bit of a time limit to get Jack back home as he had football in the evening but he wasn't looking forward to that as he was feeling the fatique too!

The descent wasn't too bad, but it was hard work on the knees, and we stopped at a decent point for some sandwiches and drink and then made it back to the car-park for a coffee, changeover of clothes and then back on the road to Manchester which was uneventful and they both slept again!

Got Jack back and said our goodbyes and wished him luck with footie and also a meeting with his business partners tomorrow as things aren't too rosy with R2R so there needs to be a meeting to clear the air and determine next plans there.

Tash drove to Lewis's and I got some zzzz's and we didn't spend too much time at his, said thanks and appreciated them having Bess for us, sounds like she got on well with the cats so that was a relief. I then drove us back down to Oxford and we got home and sorted around 9.45pm.

It's been a long but enjoyable weekend, we do push ourselves it has to be said, but well worth it as we're trying to live life to the max!!

Mount Snowden

Up very early, 4.30am, last minute cleaning and then jumped in the van and drove the 45mins to Snowden. Lovely drive although was quite dark and couldn’t appreciate all the scenery.

Got to the pre-booked carpark, luckily we had booked it because there was an attendant there even at that time.

Got sorted, worked out our starting path and set off. After about 25mins it started raining and got heavier and with the wind it was horizontal so I went to get my waterproof trousers and they weren’t in my rucksack! It was then I’d remembered that I’d thrown them away after Kili climb…bugger. With the amount of rain my hiking trousers didn’t have a chance, onwards we went and it was quite tough.

Enjoyed it but sadly the weather was nothing like the bright sunshine and clear skies we’d had the previous 2 days, it was windy, raining and very low cloud cover. As we got higher the less we saw and the wetter we got and the windier it became.

Anyway, we got to the summit and visibility was about 5 yards, utterly pointless two and a half hours walk!! So we made our way down and my clothing was sodden, as was Tasha’s, the waterproofs couldn’t cope with this amount of rain. Made our way down and started to see people making their way up, when asked what it was like we didn’t sugarcoat our answers!!

Walking around the lakes was nice but Tash had had enough and was Miss Grumpy Pants! We got to the van and it was still pissing it down so we grabbed our dry clothes and went to the public toilets to change. Got back in the van and set off for our 4hr journey home.

Stopped at MacDonald’s which was good and listened to Jon Wards podcast which we enjoyed.

An end to a lovely weekend, really enjoyed it with the kids, shame it felt like it went by so quickly and we didn’t have more time. Lovely place hidden away.

Hopefully, Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike will be kinder weather.

Kilimanjaro Climb - Day 4

A lie-in this morning meant we weren't woken until 6.30am as it's a shorter day today. We are taking on the Barranca Wall. So after a wash it was breakfast and packing up for the day ahead. Everyone seems to be sleeping better except for Dan, he's still struggling a bit and he was again later in the day. He's a big chap with a bigger appetite so you know things are not right when he doesn't eat much!

I felt a bit dizzy a couple of times getting in and out of the tent or walking up to the toilet, you forget you're at an altitude you're not familiar with and any movement at "normal" speed does take it out of you. Strange sensation to experience. With breakfast done we were G2G (Good to Go) and we set out at a slow pace towards the wall. 

We could see from a distance what was ahead of us as there was a long, snaking trail of people in brightly coloured hiking gear!

There was a lot of 'traffic' and people trying to get ahead of the queues, it was once of the few times that we didn't give way to the porters trying to get past - else we would not have moved for hours, it was also one of the few times we witnessed our guides getting a bit heated with others. So the wall required us to scramble up and down quite a small trail against the rock face. There was a drop to the side, so there was an element of danger that made it all the more exciting and enjoyable. (I love challenges like that!). We all managed well and it was an hour or so and then we were scrambling over less challenging rocks. 

It was here that Nicole got me to Bluetooth my phone to her speaker, this was a mistake! I played my Choons playlist which was quite loud to be fair and it was enjoyable until a couple of foreign hikers went past. One commented, "that's not very in with nature!" and the other called me "selfish" - I responded diplomatically by telling them both to "Fuck Off and walk faster" if they didn't want to listen to it. I wasn't too proud of that because it showed a side to me that no-one knew existed..and shortly after I turned the music down and eventually off so as to not upset anyone else.

We then stopped for a snack break and we saw a 79 year old woman supported by 3 guys come slowly hiking into view, she was clapped by the people already there and encouraged, some spoke to her - from Texas - well done her, very inspirational woman.

We then started our trek to the next camp as this was our highest point today, it was pretty barren landscape which we trekked through and not a lot to photograph really. A lot of the descent was loose shingle so you slipped a lot which was all a bit dramatic.

We came into sight of the camp and were told it was still an hour away, as we continued on it became apparent why - we had a valley between us!

So down we went which was slow going and then once at the bottom it was back up the other side, and as usual our porters came down to help with bags where needed and sure enough an hour later we finally arrived in the camp.

We all signed in and had our photos at the sign as usual, Dan was some way behind but we all stayed and when he caught up we re-took the team photo with him in it. That was important and showed a good team spirit that has occurred with this group of people. We dumped our bags in our tents and went to the Mess tent for a drink, lunch and a catch up.

We were told the plan for later today and went and crashed out for an hour or so in nice warm tents. The view from this camp was incredible. Warm water arrived about 4.30pm and we had our usual awkward wash hunched over the bowls and using wet wipes, I even managed to have a shave today - sat out on a rock, a mirror perched on another rock overlooking the clouds and landscape - the most impressive location for a shave I've ever had! Once sorted we went up the slope a little as all the porters and guides were waiting for us to do introductions.

As more of us got there they started singing and dancing an it was great fun, if a little surreal but it was also "expected" in a way as it's what they do. You had to get involved and we had a dance and all that. Chediel did a speech and introduced each and every team member, cooks, waiters, toilet guys, porters and guides. We then had to introduce ourselves and say something and it all got a bit emotional with people saying thank yous. Elizabeth, Pauline and Tash all shed a tear and then we all mingled and hugged and shook hands or bumped fists etc and then just like that, it was all over. Although I suspect we will go through the whole thing again on the last day..which is sadly very close now.

So after that we went to the Mess tent for dinner but kept coming outside because the views were spectacular when the clouds parted (or disappeared) and the sun lit up Kili in the background. We didn't have dinner right away and us, Pauline, John and Moya played Uno whilst the others played a dice game that got them very involved.

Dinner came, rice again fried bread so I was happy with that and we then finished our games and said our good nights - another 6.30am lie-in tomorrow so that's nice.

We had our routine checks all was good and tomorrow's itinerary explained. We go 4hrs to base camp tomorrow and then at midnight we set off for the summit. Looking at it and seeing the signs saying it's 11hours away makes it feel so close. I really hope we do it, I am starting to feel mildly positive which is not complacency at all as I think the steep ascent is going to be brutal and take its toll on all of us.

We shall soon see!! 

Kilimanjaro Climb - Day 3

 A "better" night's sleep I guess last night, woke up a number of times either too hot, too cold or unable to breathe comfortably..that one wasn't much fun at all, my breathing was really shallow, quick breathes and very difficult - managed not to panic but it was a close call not to.. anyway, got some hours though.

Woken up at 5.45am as agreed with coffee and hot water bowls and we sorted our bags out. We were much better organised and sorted but it was a bloody cold morning, ice was on the outside of our tent, I even added the bottom leggings to my zip off shorts. It's become a bit of a joke that I am the only one around wearing shorts all the time, both in our group and others that pass us! Even the porters are commenting on it..as Tash said, years of playing football in the cold means I am more used to it than most.

Anyway, we were greeted with the sad, but not really unexpected, news that Lynn & Denise were going to call it a day and return back to the hotel. They had struggled yesterday as I mentioned, they have not slept properly in about 5 days because of their travelling in from the US, they hadn't enjoyed the camping experience but then many of us will have struggled with that too. Still, it's such a shame as you want as many people as possible make a successful trip of it. They can still be rightly proud of even attempting it and yesterday was pretty brutal, I too was at a low ebb. (Thankfully, less so today)

So we had a last photo with them as a group and shared well wishes and hugs and goodbyes and Naomi took them back to the pick up point (that's her trip over now too) and we then went and got ready to get on the move for the day.

After breakfast, we set our from the camp quite wrapped up but very soon the sun cleared the mountain and within 15 minutes we'd stopped to shed layers (including my zip off leggings - back to shorts!). I needed to keep adding factor 30 to my face, neck and arms as everything was bright red from yesterday's sun - they looked very sore but weren't thank goodness. But that definitely led to my feeling that I was ill yesterday with heat stroke of sorts.

Where I just said "the sun cleared the mountain", that mountain was Kili! It's snow-covered in areas and with the sun glinting off it, it looked great. I don't "think" we were looking at the actual summit, I think it's like Helvelyn in that you think it's there but it's slightly further along and not visible from lower down..of course, I could be talking bollocks!

So, we climbed in warm sunshine at a very slow and steady pace today. I do like the pace we're maintaining and you don't feel under pressure from your team-mates around you; no one is trying to push ahead and we have regular stops too.

We continued along and it soon became apparent across the way that there were loads of people walking along a different route but going to the same camp that we were.

We stopped at one point and it was explained we had moved from the Moorlands Zone into the Alpine Zone, and we continued trudging along and eventually made it to the Lava Tower camp at 4,600m. We stopped for our usual photos and then found some shelter (hidden between rocks basically) to eat the snacks we'd been provided with. During this 20mins break we noticed it started to hail, very small and light hail but a big difference to the sunshine we had experienced.

A couple of things of note:

Today's hike was an acclimatisation hike to 4,600m, which is 200m higher than Mount Kinabalu. Phil was great, he had his altimeter watch and told me when we'd reached that milestone. I have to admit I was very nervous about it today because of how I felt in Borneo. The clear and obvious difference being the pace of the ascent, it was so much quicker in Borneo but here it's great that it's so steady. The massive positive for me was I felt perfectly normal, no sign of any sickness or anything, especially how shit I felt yesterday.

Which brings me onto my second point, a number of people struggled at one point or another, it was tough going but the whole point of the hike really. Dan seemed worst hit, much more subdued and just not himself. He (and the others) didn't make any fuss about it but he was clearly not good. I think he has sun-stroke too as it's the brightest red.

Phil struggled on with his knee, he needs an op and when we got to the camp he was really nauseous. John fell down and hurt his leg too as we were coming down a steep section after our lunch break, fingers crossed he's able to continue tomorrow - I suspect a good night's sleep will help. Only problem is that we don't get a good night's sleep here!

And Pauline struggled with the descent (that John fell on) which I'll come to as many others did. I'd noticed before that Pauline struggles with balance on tricky terrain sometimes but the guides were great and helped her every step of the way of course.

So, the descent to Baranco Camp! 

The sleet/hail was coming down and we all had waterproofs on, but luckily it light, partly because we were travelling through cloud s it wasn't "rain-forest" rain. The first part was through a very steep,  narrow gap through the rocks, it was really impressive scenery and I enjoyed going through that. The rest of the hike was a constant downhill trudge and you couldn't see much further than 50 yards. Chatted more with people as I felt better in myself (compared to yesterday) - James from Thame and Nicole (+ Chris) the nurse.

Not a lot to talk about regarding this stage to be honest, some good opportunities for photos and videos and I will need to get people's details so I can share them on Dropbox or something. We were walking down into the valley and eventually the camp came into sight. 

The cloud cover turns so quickly, one minute it's clear and 45 seconds later you can't see a thing. As we got closer the porters greeted us and took more rucksacks today and we made it to our destination, signed in and had photos and then directed to our tents. This was about 3.00pm and straight to the Mess tent for cooked lunch but everyone just wanted to sleep. The problem was it was soon 4.10pm and Chediel said "sleep now and waster will come at 5.00pm"..."Say WHAT?". We convinced him to give us 90 minutes and I fell fast asleep for an hour and then washed and it was time for tea.

Nicole dragged us out of our tents because the view of Kili was magnificent and cloud cover was coming in fast. Took some more photos around camp, it's a big one here and then into the Mess tent, but it's cold today and even I needed leggings on.

Food was good again (spag bol) and we had our briefing from Chediel and a discussion about summit night because we were offered different times to get up but after we'd agreed a time it was explained (badly) we'd have to bring it forward a day. Two major issues with that, it would mean a massive hike tomorrow and the loss of an acclimatisation day but more importantly, Chris's 40th birthday falls on the 14th and we would have summitted on the 13th which takes away from the significance of summitting on his actual birthday. Chediel immediately back-tracked and changed the plans back to the original ones so we that we could summit on his birthday - an absolute no brainer to be honest. Shouldn't have even been a discussion!

Spirits were quite high over dinner today again even with the kamikaze moth in the tent! With all that done and dusted our heart-rate and bloods tested we made our way to bed. We get a lie-in tomorrow with a 6.30am wake up call as we're only hiking 4 hours - we have a games day tomorrow to look forward to. Came here into the tent/bed and it's taken me 75 minutes to write today's diary entry. 

A really good day, personally I am so relieved how good I feel - phew!