OK this was my plan: Zoe wanted to visit her mum in Hailsham and in order for me to go with her and at the same time stay as far away as possible, I dreamed up an shortened imitation MdS as a good test of what is to come. I would sleep in my sleeping bag on the floor, carry all my stuff including food emergency kit sleeping stuff etc and ration my water to 2.5 liters a day (thought that is good compared to the 11 liters in the desert considering the difference in climate between the south downs and the Sahara) I was to cook my own food, no shower, no shave, no drinks, no mod cons. I planned 3 walks on varied terrain, hills, flat hard surface and ploughed fields. Day one 23.7 miles (38.1 km). Day two 32.7 miles (52.4 km) and day three 23.7 miles (38.1 km). This is a total of 78.8 miles (126.6 km) with a total ascent and descend of 6763 feet (2061 meter). Or about half the MdS in half the time. Brilliant plan I thought.
Arrived an mother in law and went straight to bed in preparation for the next day. Did not sleep well at all on the floor. My torn muscle in my back was hurting like hell and I have a tooth abscess that I overdose with aspirin, codeine and paracetamol.
Day 1, Sun. 28/12/08
It was freezing cold and some of the foot paths was not used in years making navigation challenging and time consuming. Blisters start to develop after 4 hours and I stopped to treat my feet. Did not work very well and after 8 hours the blisters was well developed. Did not need to burst them as my socks did it for me. Back half of both socks was wet with clear pus. I carry on bravely while chewing pain killers like wine gums. Completed the wobble after spot on 11 hours. Ditched my boots, which was wet too with pus. Still clear at this time. Treat my feet, most of the skin was gone already and integrated in my Bridgedale socks. Just managed to cover two of the for blisters with a large compeed patch and in the process splatter mother in law’s cream carpet with pink pus. Had my trial pack of apple and custard and went to sleep. Very bad night sleep max 2 hours at a time before waking up with half my body asleep and need to turn for circulation.
Day 2, Mon 29/12/08
Killed the alarm at 06:00 and steal another 30 minutes while contemplating my madness and thinking of all the reasons not to go further. Remarkably I could not find any reason to carry on. Still I got up, treat my feet again and try to clear the now yellow pus of my brand new marmot sleeping bag. Needed to my full weight to get my feet into my what appeared to be shrunken boots. Biting my teeth, overdosing on codeine as 08:30 I drunkenly strolling out into the early morning with motorist giving me that funny look. At last, after two an a half hours the endorphins were kicking in and I could not feel my back and my tooth abscess anymore. My toes were frozen in the cold thus helping not to feel the blisters on my toes but the heels were making up for it. Afraid I would not get my shoes back on I did not stop to treat them even though the red pus was weeping out around the compeed, through the elastoplasts, through the socks and are now staining the outside of my boots. At 14:00 after five and a half hours I only did 6 miles and at risk of been arrested for walking like a drunk I called Zoe to collect me.
Had a shower and try to rescue my feet. Pus of the full visible spectrum is weeping out of various blisters and open wounds and I am thoroughly pissed of.
Everything went well, carrying the pack, the terrain, the food, the limited water, no washing, no shaving limited toilet paper even got my full English breakfast down to a tee. Sleeping was not comfortable but I can cope with it, all that is except my blimming feet.
I tried it all now, I have enough boots, shoes and socks to open a shop. I think the main problem with my feet are the awkward size combined with the weight it caries. I have very wide short feet. In length my left foot is an eight and my right foot is a nine. In width both are size 12. I normally find a size 11 is most comfortable. But it still leave a tight shoe/boot that is far to long.
What next? I urgently need to sort my footwear out. I am considering sandals (don’t laugh. The nomadic tribes in the Sahara is wearing sandals, plus I have tough feet and is use to walk barefoot) or the other alternative is getting shoes/boots made for my feet. (If anyone know of a GOOD shoemaker please let me know)
2 months and 26 days to go
Am I panicking? Naah.
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