AUG 14th

I woke early but it was still too dark

 So I dozed until 6 them packed up and walked the perilous route back to water my fellow hikers  were up but there wasn’t a lot of movement.  I grabbed more water then set off back up the steep path back to the trail. The morning was looking magnificent  so I took few photos before returning yo the climb..did I say climb I meant climbs  omg  it was up snd down and up and down  but bloody steep up and stupid  steep down .I have to say the views were amazing   but  for hod sake get me off of this mountain. 

But no up and down in the distance I could see another hiker catching me it was gandalf. .

After the last climb I stopped to drink water and woof a few snacks. Gandalf wasn’t stopping he wanted to push miles. 

Next up was rabbit  he looked like me exhausted.  Next was the aussies  followed by Kid.

The aussies cruised put and jrot going kid needed water  and rabbit  air lol.

I took off after the aussies  knowing kid would soon whizz past. At ladt we were dropping down into  a meadow and hopefully more water.

It  was still amazing views  as I made my way through the meadow.  

There was supposed to be water here but it was dry  but I still followed the water bed  in the distance I could see the gang  and Jacoby  I stopped too. Dropped my pack 

And filtered a litre of water which I promptly drank so filtered another. 

Hot sauce  was missing then appeared from.the other direction . Guess she took a wrong turn. 

It was a another climb out of the valley so didn’t want to carry  too much water as its heavy.

The sun was hot  now and  the climb steep but luckily  it began to drop down through cool forest. 

The trail  now meadered  its way through the countryside. Some up some down but   nothing scary.. (that was later this afternoon?)

The trail was well signed  until you needed  a sign and then it was???

Kid came screaming psst me then I met  my first sobo of the day a lady and her dog..I was just chatting when rabbit and hots sauce caught up.

The  two of them seemed much faster than this morning but I kept them in sight.

They eventually stopped  by the river with Kid.

I dropped my pack filtered and drank more water  and ate more snacks.  

The big climb was next 3 miles up such fun

Rabbit took off but I couldnt match him  it was steep  and hot about 2/3 up Kid and hot sauce caught and passed me  as I was exhausted.  Climbing  just kills me. Not far to go snailtrainer.

I chugged on as the families boo. Of thunder rang out . At last I was atvthe top and began the decent  the the decent still had a few hills.

As I dropped down into a forest I could see the 5 the aussies  rabbit and Kid and hot sauce.

I felt good so pushed on stopping at a spring..I decided yo make a cuppa

 But wasn’t sure why…

By the time I started again the rain was  threatening so I put on my rain jacket.

The rain lasted about 10 minutes  and then the sun took over. I could see  people on the other side of the hill miles away  so began to push  but I was roasting in my rain jacket  but didn’t want to stop  to take it off 

Eventually I had too. I pushed as hard as I could as when I last stopped yo check my milage it was crap. Guessing down to all the bloody hills and a 3 mile climb. 

I wanted 20  well actually with my early start I  wanted mid 20s

I kept pushing but then my tight foot began to hurt for no reason and it was just six. At the next water I filled up znd then began to look for some where  flat. 

A hiker called 10lb hammer  came by  then I pased Jackoby. I thought he was camping but he came past me when I had stopped.

I was tired the climbing  had  exhausted me.

So dinner and bed seemed good.

Managed to squeeze in 20 miles

Night all.