The Last Post

Back to reality after a couple of relaxing days in the Lakes and the tedious drive home yesterday. My feet are mending and starting to forgive me for treating them so badly - I need them to be in tip-top condition for the strappy, high-heeled sandals I'm planning to wear to a wedding on Saturday so I'm trying to pamper them at every given opportunity!

I can't actually believe it's all over - already it seems a lifetime ago. No, that doesn't mean I'm thinking about doing another one, it just means that I'm having to concentrate slightly harder to remember all the way back to the beginning of last December when this madness started! Follow this link to a photo album of the most insane week of my life.

If anyone out there is thinking of doing a long distance trek my short, sharp advice is simply this - don't. If you're still determined, here's a few hints, tips and bits of advice from someone who learned the hard way: the most important thing of all is your boots, get some that fit well and support your feet; use (Leki) poles, they absorb some of the impact going through your knees and they are invaluable for keeping you upright on muddy paths, in streams and on steep slopes (unless you're like me and have a propensity for blundering over); either learn to read a map and use a compass or go with someone who can do those things and don't let them out of your sight; keep your wet weather gear handy even if the weatherman said it would be wall to wall sunshine; be safe and follow advice from people who are more experienced than you; always carry a basic first aid kit that contains lots of blister plasters and/or moleskin (you will also need scissors and an engineer to cut the correct shapes for you); don't carry all your stuff unless you absolutely have to, get it "Sherpa'd" from B&B to B&B, that way you're being much kinder to your body and you can have clean clothes and your own hairdryer every day; take your boots off and cool your feet en route, you'll get a couple of comfortable miles every time you do this.

If any of you fancy following my route, here's the places we stayed: Knowles Lodge, Blue Bell Inn, Swarthghyll Farm, George and Dragon, Bull Hotel, High Barn (Shaw End, Patton - no website) and Royal Oak.

It only leaves my list of thanks before this blog is done. First and foremost, all you blog readers. I'm glad you "came with me" and I suspect you enjoyed the trip more than I did! Many thanks to all my sponsors - that special needs centre will be a better place because of your generosity. To my Reet Grand Yorkshire Lad, whoever you are and wherever you are, thank you so much. To Dan, the other Dales Way walker, the very best of luck - get some early nights because if you're doing 16 miles a day, you will need them! To Jo Thoenes and the team at BBC Radio Oxford (95.2FM), thanks for letting me share my story with your listeners. To They Who Know - support teams don't get any better and all your advice, hospitality, to-ing and fro-ing and thoughtfulness will never be forgotten. Last but never least a thousand, heartfelt thanks right from the bottom of my boots to He Who Hauled Me Along, He Who Wiped My Tears And Fed Me Bounty Bars, He Who Is Truly Wondrous With Moleskin, He Who Plucked Me From The Mud More Than Once, He Who Gave Me Encouragement And Confidence, He Who Made It All Possible, He Who Is Much More Than I Deserve - my darling husband, David.

Seven Down!

Done it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wall to wall sunshine for the last day and I finally hit my stride - the fourteen miles passed (almost) with ease. I suspect a huge contributing factor was that the female half of They Who Know had most of the weight from my backpack in the boot of her car so I didn't feel as though I had a house on my back.

The day would not have been complete without tears but they were tears of relief when I got to the bench "For Those Who Walk The Dales Way" one of which marks each end of the trek. Another couple of hundred yards saw us at the pub we're staying in, sitting in the shade drinking the chilled Champagne They Who Know produced from a cool box in the back of their car.

I'm finding it hard to separate and articulate all the things I'm feeling; there's elation mixed with relief, there's disbelief mixed with pride, there's gratitude for all the support mixed with something I can't identify but centring around being able to help the special needs people in Kodumela.

There's an enormous irony to all this in that "Kodumela" translates as "dig deep" or "hard work" so I feel I can lay claim to a new verb - in that I have been kodumeling! Man, have I ever had to dig deep and work hard over this last week!

I will upload some pictures and stuff when I get home so don't give up on the blog just yet. Right now I have to finish the superb hot chocolate I'm drinking and get out there to explore the shops of Bowness.

Six Down - One To Go

Nearly there! Only one more day of this insanity to go - I cannot believe that what started as an idle thought six months ago has proved to be one of the most horrendous experiences of my life. No, not true - it is the most horrendous experience of my life!

We did about eleven miles today between Sedbergh and Shaw End and I only fell over once. Not sure how it happened - I was on my feet one second and flat on my backside the next. No real harm done, just another dent in my pride! My feet are seriously sore and He Who Does Geometrically Wondrous Things With Moleskin is doing a fine job in trying to keep me comfortable.

They Who Know are spending the night with us and the male half is walking the last day with us tomorrow. He's used to people (women) who like walking and are good at it so I'm not entirely sure how he'll cope with someone who needs to pee every five hundred yards, has a good cry at least twice a day and blunders over at the drop of a hat.

At one point today we had the Howgill Fells behind us and the heights of Lakeland in front of us so He Who Is Easily Pleased was in heaven and insisted on a prolonged photo shoot. I shifted my weight from one painful foot to the other, wishing I was anywhere but there.