The Only Way Is Bognor, via Sharm El Sheikh

And life goes back to normal.  Or rather, the holiday is over and so work begins! 

Our third trip to Egypt did not disappoint as a family holiday.  A good time was had by all, and my daughter coped surprisingly well with the 40 degree heat.  She has the best tan ever!  We are all now what the masses describe as a ‘healthy’ colour.  My wife is much more tanned than I am, but I would say I am reasonably brown. 

We’ve done nearly all of the tourist things in Egypt; temples, pyramids, valley of the kings etc, and since our daughter is too young to appreciate them yet, we did not stray too far from our resort. 

The HACK is only 9 days away now, and training is going pretty well.  I am trying to watch what I eat closely and am feeling much better for it.  I have a 14-15 mile training walk on Sunday, which will stand me in good stead and test my stamina for the real thing.  It’ll be a full dress rehearsal, so my ruck will be packed tight with kit. 

The suggested kit list for your ruck on the day is:

Complete change of clothes,

Water,

Food – including energy sweets,

Waterproofs,

First Aid kit,

Whistle – in case you get lost, or to annoy other walkers!

Torch,

OS map,

Sun cream,

Mobile phone,

Hat – definitely need one this year, the penultimate mile or so was freezing last year!

I’m also taking trekking poles (to relieve the strain on my ankles, as they were shot by the end last year).  So all in all, I’ll be pretty weighed down!

 

Called into Cotswold Outdoor in Chichester today to stock up on Go bars and hydration powder for the training walk and the actual HACK.  I love all shops that sell hiking gear and the like, but I have to say that Cotswold is a little too expensive for me.  I saw a North Face soft shell jacket that looked and felt really comfortable.  Of course that little fantasy was squashed when I looked at the price tag; £150!!!  I am sorry, but places like Mountain Warehouse and Trespass sell the same type of jacket for anywhere between £30 and £50.  That, I can justify!  I’m sure North Face would argue that their product is of far superior quality, and perhaps it is.  But is it really superior enough to justify £150?

Still undecided on what food to take with me on the HACK.  Last year I made pasta with sweet corn, which was ok, but very cold and stodgy after being in my ruck for 5 hours.  This year I am thinking it might be rice with mixed veg and maybe some veg stock.  Perhaps even a little bit of chicken thrown in for good measure.

To be honest, there is little point taking too much, as the guys at the checkpoints are usually stocked up with chocolate bars and fruit.  Still, I can’t guarantee that will be the case, so better to be prepared. 

Not a lot else to write at the moment.

If you would like to sponsor me for the HACK, please visit www.justgiving.com/rick-keates1