Adventure She March 2019 : simplebooklet.com

Adventure She March 2019 Welcome Murray s help when her dog Rolo hurt his paws during training rides as they practised for a long distance cycle from the UK to Rome Yes she took Rolo the spaniel with her too After all when things like navigation goes wrong who better to comfort a person than their best friend A big huge welcome to all of you It s hard to believe but we re already celebrating our first birthday Yes it s been a whole year since Adventure She was launched If you subscribed to our 2018 issues thank you so much If you didn t you can still get oall four of our 2018 issues from the website Anna Sargent didn t just travel with her best friend she went with nine of them on a canoe trip down the mighty Yukon river I love this story for it highlights the importance of proper preparation How does the saying go fail to plan plan to fail In other words proper planning is key to success That s why we start this issue with a business technique that we can also apply in the adventure world In fact risk management is probably more important in the adventure scene than it is in many a business Over this year we hope to keep improving your reading experience So if you have any comments or feedback please do let us know In our September 2018 issue we focused on fear In our December 2018 issue we focused on implementing positive changes Alas the reality is that whatever we do and however prepared we are sometimes things go wrong Last year for her 40th birthday Nicky Gaskell s partner thought she should jump off a cliff Welcome to the world of coasteering I bet responsible coasteering businesses carry out risk assessments So in this issue we share several stories where events didn t always go according to plan Such as whilst running the length of the UK Megan Al Ghailani ran out of food and water on the hottest day of the year so far Not something we d relish Gemma Smith also found herself in a precarious situation when she was teamed up with an inexperienced climber on Mont Blanc Mercifully she lived to tell the tale Caroline Murray who wrote about volunteering at the Mongol Derby in out September issue is back This time she writes about her experience as a volunteer vet at the legendary Iditarod But you know what as well prepared as the organisers were things went wrong But who could have foreseen Caroline falling out of bed and braking her wrist Now what would you think about a tall object going down a street and having to manoeuvre around low flying wires Welcome to the Nyepi festival in Lombok which Clare Johnston came across when celebrating her 30th birthday thanks to the very hospitable owner of the guest house where she was staying I must confess low slung electric wires are something I m a tad wary about then again a former teacher s husband got electrocuted and died as a result of accidentally touching one whilst atop a truck carrying hay Different countries of course have different ways and different facilities Jade Toft shares the story of how she got around Madagascar whilst volunteering with the Peace Corps Annabel Leila Smith could have done with Caroline 4 Front cover photo courtesy of Aex Thomson

Page 5

Adventure She March 2019 Norman is another one who writes about when things go wrong with local transport in her case Nepal Fortunately for her whilst taxis trucks were a bit of an issue at least she managed to get out of the way of a rather angry looking yak before it spiked her with its horns Seemingly accident prone Fran Edmunds meanwhile takes a look inside hospitals of several countries including Vietnam Thailand and India The story is a great reminder to all of us of the importance of carrying a good first aid kit and knowing how to use it plus of course the need for appropriate travel insurance On occasion though travels do go according to plan Liz Phillips planned her hike on the Great South West Track in Victoria Australia with such skill she even managed to have red wine on occasion So are we saying that travel and adventure are dangerous Absolutely they can be But we can mitigate the risk We can research in advance about a place we can learn first aid techniques and we can do courses such as in mountaineering before heading off to some 6 000 metre peak Over the page you ll see a short article by me on how I managed risk when choosing to travel to Peru when it was considered a not so safe option Risk mitigation is also something I ve applied when travellling in Pakistan before 9 eleven and when kayaking and mountaineering Bethany Hughes and Lauren Reed recently became the first people to thru hike the Greater Patagonia Trail which is a huge achievement plus they recently finished a non motorised crossing of South America from Patagonia to Colombia and on to Panama They are clearly hard core adventurers Here though Bethany writes of trails that are rather tamer these days the hikes to world famous Machu Piccu in Peru We really hope you enjoy this issue and please please do let us know what you think of the magazine and what we can do to make it better Jane Founder and Editor Howtofol l owAdventureSheonsocial media If you d like to follow Adventure She on social media and or join our Facebook Group we ll be delighted to see you Instagram adventure_she Twitter adventure_she Facebook adventureshe Web www adventureshe com Adventure She is published by TNA Consulting Services Ltd the address of the registered of which can be obtained from Companies House The entire contents is protected by copyright 2019 and all rights are reserved Reproduction without prior permission is forbidden Every care is taken in compiling the contents of the magazine but the publishers assume no responsibility in the effect arising therefrom Readers are advised to seek professional advice before acting on any information which is contained in the magazine Neither TNA Consulting Services Ltd nor Adventure She magazine accept any liability for views expressed 5 Rights Reserved pictures used or claims made Copyright 2019 TNA Consulting Services Ltd All

Page 6

Adventure She March 2019 M a n ag in g R isk s Back gr ou n d an d con t ext It was 1992 yes I really am that old and I was planning a big trip I worked hard I saved hard and I read hard What you may wonder is reading hard In those days there weren t many if any adventure magazines where I lived So my reading consisted of the foreign pages of newspapers That s how I knew to forget going to Algeria and on across the Sahara for in1992 there was a massive rise in Algerian extremism That s also how I decided that I could and would go to Peru Today Peru is a popular country to visit but not so in 1992 and 1993 when I was there For in those days the name Sendero Luminoso or Shining Path hung in the air A guerrilla group they had wrecked havoc on the country But the new president Alberto Fujimori eleted in 1990 was determined to stamp down on Shining Path That he did he s actually now in prison for human rights offences and other things relating to his time in office Shining Path s leader Guzman was captured in September 1992 After that the group appeared to lose its strangle hold over Peru So what does risk management have to do with any of this Th e Sit u at ion South America was becoming increasing popular as a backpacker destination Without the crowds of Australia or South by Ja n e H a r r ies East Asia and mostly at peace provided one skipped Colombia and Peru Assessm en t The situation in Peru was changing though Narcotic wars in Colombia meant it however was not really a place to go though a few did venture there Venezuela oh how things have changed was supposedly fine Robbery was the big risk in Brazil Risk m in im isat ion I bought secret pockets and sewed them on the inside of my clothes next to existing pockets I always carried some cash travellers cheques and a credit card in those pockets in case my backpack and jacket pockets were taken Of course had I been forced to remove my clothes at any time then my secret pockets would have been discovered I kept reading the newspapers and listened to the news whenever I could whilst on my travels Having learned basic travel Spanish I could get the gist of the main news stories unless they were about economics or some such thing I also talked with other backpackers particularly those travelling in the opposite direction to me as they d just come from a place where I was headed One night bus was notorious for being held up with passengers being robbed There was an 6 alternative day time bus but it was more expensive I chose the day bus If Shining Path were regularly stopping the night bus who could say when they might decide to take a person not just their money Enough people had been kidnapped for this to be a risk Besides at least on the day bus I d get to see the stupendous views and not have to pay money to a guerrilla group who d murdered people ranging from dirt poor peasants to the extremely wealthy Plan an d im plem en t at ion I followed through with my plans even taking the day bus when another backpacker did his best to try and persuade me to join him on the night bus I also flew rather than take the bus from Lima to Cusco as I learned the bus went through a Shining Path stronghold Plus following the advice of my guidebook I never accepted food or drink from strangers as the guidebook reported instances of even sweets having been tampered with backpackers falling into a drug induced sleep and being robbed Review t h e plan So did it work Well nothing bad happened to me in South America so I guess it must have But I also know to some extent I was lucky We can never be certain where or when violence natural disasters or accidents happen Nothing is ever certain but surely there can t be harm in minimising risks

Page 7

Page 8

Adventure She March 2019 five days away from Land s End on the south west tip of England In those 35 days I d run approximately 700 miles along the length of Great Britain Here at Advent ure She magazine we re t hrilled t hat Megan Al Ghailani t rust ed us wit h her advent ure a 700 mile run across Brit ain But we re especially t hrilled t hat Megan chose t o share wit h us t he brut al realit y of what can happen out t here I had met the loveliest people and been welcomed into their homes like family I had followed streams which turned into rivers and rivers which turned into lakes I had run past soaring mountains and through deep valleys I had cried a lot but I had laughed a lot more I had endured pain every single day and somehow managed to push through it All this during one of the UK s hottest ever heat waves It s a great reminder t o all of us t hat when we advent ure we need t o respect hot dry days just as much as we respect bit t erly cold wint er days or soaking wet rainy day Today there was a scorching sun my legs felt so weak they shook when I stood still my back felt sore and stiff and the soles of my feet burned My feet had burned with pain since Scotland so the pain was familiar but today it seemed more extreme My legs felt frail my muscles tired and exhausted I was now running on the very I wished my body felt as wonderful as the view I d been running for 35 days from John O Groats on the north tip of Scotland and was now only 8

Page 9

Adventure She March 2019 undulating South West Coastal Path and perhaps it was the coastal path s constant change in elevation that was getting to me or maybe it was the physical magnitude of the last 700 miles finally catching up to me But on this scorching hot day only overgrown sunburnt shrubs and nettles crowded the path There was no shade to shelter from the burning sun no shops to get an emergency supply of fruit or milk or water no bus shelters to power nap in and hardly any people to keep me company Nothing No mobile phone receptions either I coudn t even get any supportive messages from my family my boyfirned and my firneds Though the pain was immense I felt like I had no choice but to embrace it For I still had five more days to survive I consumed my last banana sipped from my water bladder finishing the final few drops before carrying on to Bude my planned destination for the day and still approximately 12 miles away As my legs brushed past stinging nettles and sharp thorns doubt entered my mind I kept trying to distract myself trick my body into carrying on It s okay there s only five days left now keep going onwards make it to Bude think of that well deserved rest day you can have tomorrow don t worry Megan the path will level out eventually surely there won t be another hill after this one No matter what my mind was telling me my body was failing and it was failing fast So far running on the South West Coastal Path had been amazing I had been so excited to reach the sea But it was more than that At times I felt as if I was running through a jungle for every day on it had felt so wild with the vibrant emerald green trees towering above the golden path That day could have gone in a different direction 9

Page 10

Adventure She March 2019 I could have stopped at Elmscott making it an easy nine miles to cover But I chose to continue to Bude which rounded that day s mileage up to twenty In hindsight twenty miles didn t seem so bad considering most of my days were the distance of a marathon or more Plus if I made it to Bude I could have a rest day and that is what I thought I needed energy faded In my weary state I started to seriously doubt myself Why was doing this Why did I decide to run from John O Groats to Land s End by myself Why did I ever think it possible for me to do it I thought about all the things that lead me to this moment and I listed all the times I had been wrong I thought about the dark cloud that hovered over me when I was a teenager I thought about the times other pupils would make comments and laugh but I being deaf could never hear what they were saying and my mind would assume the worse Alas after Elmscott which according to my map didn t have a shop or anywhere else where I could stock up on food and water the path became torturous constantly switching between incredibly steep inclines and equally steep descents requiring constant focus and attention on where you placed your feet I thought about the time I visited my uncle and his wife in Nairobi I thought about the day we went to a school situated in the heart of the Mathare slum I thought about the children I met I thought about their scarred faces and about the stench of faeces that clung onto the polluted air I thought about how unfair it was that they were born into a world of such poverty The temperature rose peaking at thirty one degrees For some of you that might not seem very hot but in the UK that s newsworthy hot It was undoubtedly the hottest day I had endured so far on this run To add insult to injury vicious horse flies attacked my arms and legs Plus I hadn t seen another soul for hours Then as heavy droplets of salty sweat dripped down my cheeks and arms I ran out of food and water I thought about all the time I wasted at University getting raucously drunk abusing my body with unhealthy food and binge drinking I thought about all the times I was reckless I thought about all the time I wasted with inimical people who eventually just throw me in the bin like rubbish Like the constant pain in the soles of my feet loneliness had become my normality Of the two I found loneliness much harder to endure than physical pain Until now supportive phone messages from my boyfriend Brendan and my friends and family helped deal with loneliness But of course on that day the hardest day yet I had no phone service I was alone on a scorcher of a day with shaky legs on tough terrain with no food or water I thought about that night in Budapest when I watched hundreds of refugees people who had jobs homes and family people just like meshelter in a train station desperate to find another country that they could call home I thought about those children who slept on the floor and the hollow eyes of their parents gazing Now negatively clouded my constant attempt to remain optimistic and with that negativity My 10

Page 11

Page 12

Adventure She March 2019 down at them I slumped onto a rock and let the tears fall Why when I was at the very pinnacle of exhaustion did my mind turned on me so harshly I felt lost alone and defeated When I feel overwhelmed back at home in Manchester I always look up to the sky I look up to the roof of the world and watch the clouds pass I always feel a sense of relief because I know that no matter what the sky will always be there to keep me company As I sat on that rock feeling broken and alone I remembered this and I looked up towards the sky Though my mind and body felt defeated there was no point sitting around feeling sorry for myself After all you do not have to be remarkable at something to do something remarkable you just have to get up break down your walls and carry on I took a deep breath stood up and carried on A fewmiles later I came to a cross in the path I saw a family of four with their dog approaching I waited for them and in a tone of desperation asked whether the path they d just wandered down led to a road and even more frantically whether that road was flat They assured there was indeed a road and it was relatively flat They wished me luck for the rest of my journey and then continued to meander down to the beach A f ew m iles ou t side Lan gdon Beck eat in g m y r egu lar sn ack of br ead 12 Regrettably I didn t ask the family for water or food I was only a few miles outside of Bude now surely my body could push that bit further When I reached the road the skin on my arms and legs was raw and patchy from the combination of horse fly and nettle stings plus my body had truly hit a point of enervation which I had never experienced before My legs now plodded along like an infant learning to walk By the time I lumbered to the bottom of the hill I felt my body curl crumble and fall to the ground This was it I had reached my max Both my body and mind were done After thirty five days of intensive fierce running my

Page 13

Adventure She March 2019 body had finally given up For a moment I let my eyes rest and thought I can just sleep here tonight this is comfy enough Then after deciding this was an inappropriate spot for a nap I forced my body up onto my hands and knees and an unfamiliar burning sensation pumped through my veins The ground beneath me blurred and my head hung heavily The simple action of standing up felt impossible I felt like a baby learning how to walk not in the joyous manner of taking those first steps but all the other incredibly frustrating times prior to that moment where the baby fails and falls back onto their face Just as I weakly lifted myself onto my feet a car pulled up beside me and two friendly faces peered out of the window curiously at me They asked me if I was alright and if I needed any help Tears rolled down my face as I tried to explain that I had been running across the country that I hadn t eaten or drank anything for hours that I was exhausted and was heading to Bude In an instance the woman in the front seat dove into the back seat next to the black and white dog and urged me to get into the car Throughout my whole journey so far I had felt like someone was watching over me In the worst situations somehow someone or something would come along to save me and this was just another example of that ceaseless presence of love I don t remember much about that car journey other than incoherently crying and thanking them both profusely I remember them dropping me off in the car park and pointing me in the right direction I remember the dog peering out of the window staring at me as theyImage drove away ofand I Nolan courtesy David remember shyly shuffling past a crowd of curious tourists by the bus stop When I arrived at the hostel I immediately went to soak my legs in ice cold water After cleaning the dust and sweat of my body I lumbered across the street to a pub and tried to get some carbs into my system My body always took time to eat but I took especially long during this meal By the time I finished the pub had emptied out I fell into a deep sleep one which my body desperately needed I spent the following day on the beach I spent most of the time in the salty cool water or on a towel eating whatever I could and reflecting on my journey so far It s a strange feeling knowing how close you are to the end and how far you are from the start It had been an experience I will never forget one which will take a long time to recover from both mentally and physically I learnt so much about myself I learnt how strong my mind is how the mind is everything I was relentlessly optimistic most of the time I let go and accepted a lot of those memories that I had buried in the dark corners of my mind I watched the sun set and rise another day I learnt that life is very simple really to be kind and to be generous opens your heart To be grateful and to smile keeps your heart open To be bold and to live life to its fullest encourages others to open theirs To watch the waves unfold to tell those dear to you that you love them to believe in yourself and to let it be Image courtesy of David Nolan 13

Page 14

Adventure She March 2019 Abou t M egan Al Gh ailan i Megan Al Ghailani is a relentless optimist a running enthusiast and a Say Yes More ambassador based in Manchester She was born completely deaf in her left ear and partially deaf in her right ear She fell in love with the outdoors whilst studying English Literature at Bangor University Before graduating she completed all eight routes of snowdon in four days and a year later she completed the three peak challenge three legged with some friends Ru n n in g t ow ar ds Yeovil w h er e t h e ch ar it y ar e based t ak in g a m om en t t o soak m y f eet in ice Follow in g M egan on social m edia En joyin g a r est day in Bu de Website https www megan al ghailani com Facebook https www facebook com KeepGoingMegan Instagram https www instagram com keepgoingmegan 14

Page 15

Page 16

Adventure She March 2019 Q A WITH M EGAN AL GHAILANI WETHINKMEGANAL GHAILANIISABSOLUTELYAMAZING AFTERREADINGHERARTICLE WEWANTEDTOKNOW MOREABOUTHERANDHERADVENTURE SOWEBOMBARDEDHERWITHQUESTIONS THANKYOUSOMUCHMEGAN FORTAKINGTHETIMETOANSWERTHEMSOTHOROUGHLYANDHONESTLY What made you choose to do this There were three reasons why I decided to run across the country Firstly I really wanted to explore more of the UK I have travelled a lot throughout my life but I had never been to Cornwall or many parts of Scotland However I can t drive and I have awful luck on a bicycle so was too scared to cycle it At the time this idea to run JOGLE was sprouting in my head I was training for my first marathon so it just made sense to run it Secondly I really wanted to challenge myself and this seemed both ridiculous and crazy therefore the best possible challenge for me to commit to Thirdly I wanted to raise money for a charity close to my heart School In A Bag Where did you sleep at night Originally I was going to camp each night but the weight of my backpack was way too heavy to run with so I instead I relied on hostels AirBnB s couch surfs and the generosity of friends family and Adventure Queens If you haven t heard of Adventure Queens you have to check them out I put a post on the Facebook page with a long list of locations where I needed somewhere to stay and luckily lots and lots of people invited me to stay with 16 them Did you run it all I ran as much as I could but there were many days when I would end up having to walk miles at a time There were other days when I was either exhausted or had miscalculated the distance and would have to hitch a ride or rely on public transport One day on the border between England and Scotland I massively miscalculated the distance and found myself 12 miles from my destination with a mountain a shooting range and a steep ridge between us Long

Page 17

Adventure She March 2019 story short I happened to come across mountain rescue and they gave me a life to my accommodation after a cup of tea and some dog cuddles I found this hard to accept at first but if I didn t accept other modes of transport now and then I probably wouldn t have made it to Land s End How much did your backpack weigh When I first started my backpack weighed approximately 16kg including food and water After the third day I had no choice but to skim the weight down to make each day easier and I ran the rest of the way with approximately 10kg on my back What did you carry in your backpack I honestly cannot remember everything I carried but this is the essentials that I remember 2 litre water bladder food massage roller ball biofreeze and other toiletries hiking poles 1 set of PJ s 1 pair of running leggings which I ditched in Manchester because it was way too hot to wear them 1 running top 1 pair of running shorts 3 pairs of new balance running knickers 3 pairs of 1000 mile running socks spot tracking device shock absorber running bra a small notepad running hat a few different a z walking map guides charger for my Garmin watch and phone How did you choose your route I had 40 days to do complete this run so planned my route accordingly I had no idea what I was doing really so basically measured each day by getting from one accommodation to 17 another I choose accommodation according to what was available because in a lot of areas there really isn t much I tried to incorporate as many canal paths bike paths and trails in as possible but sometimes the most direct and flat route would be along roads and sometimes that is all my body was able to cope with How did your body manage

Page 18

Adventure She March 2019 There were a few days when my body felt okay my legs would just need some ice and elevation but most days my body felt really uncomfortable The bones in my feet felt crushed my legs felt tight and sensitive and even when I took my backpack off it felt like I was still wearing it When I would lie in bed my body always felt like it was still moving and I always struggled to fall asleep On the evening of my second day my body went into shock I couldn t eat anything I couldn t stop shaking and I felt ice cold After that I discovered the wonders of milk and it became my elixir I am a vegetarian so I would have a pint of milk or more every day I ate a lot of bread cheese pizza and pasta but also tried to have plenty of fruit and vegetables I just ate what I fancied and what I could get my hands on Once I ate a whole pizza a full plate of pasta and a bowl of mashed potatoes I had pasta most days and chip butties whenever I could I definitely didn t have a very healthy diet just a high carb high protein one Plus I was very luck on the evenings I stayed with couch surf hosts because they would cook me the most delicious meals As well as food I tried to stretch as much as I could every day and I rolled out my muscles several times a day in attempt to keep my body as loose and relaxed as possible Ru n n in g in t o Yeovil w it h Lu k e t h e f ou n der of Sch ool In A Bag 18 ABOUT SCHOOL INABAG According to School in a bag s website schoolinabag org School in a Bag is an initiative run by the UK registered charity the Piers Simon Appeal charity no 1109503 T he concept of School in a Bag was born in late 2009 following a collaboration project to send SchoolBags to orphan children in Swaziland Africa School in a Bag is a simple solution created to help poor orphan vulnerable and disaster affected children throughout the world Each SchoolBag is filled with stationery equipment and resources that will enable a child to write draw colour calculate express themselves and above all learn Each SchoolBag delivered to a child will give hope to his or her future and has the potential to transform their lives

Page 19

Page 20

Adventure She March 2019 COASTEERING PEMBROKESHIRE BY NICKY GASKELL So what do you do when you turn 40 Why you throw yourself off a cliff All in the name of fun though and it turned out to be one of the silliest most exhilarating and self challenging things you can do Coasteering is getting popular really popular and at a small beach in Pembrokeshire West Wales Celtic Quest Coasteering took myself my fiance and four other equally clueless customers on an adventure none of us are likely to forget The night before we were hesitant The weather forecast for the following day was wet 20 and windy in the morning only clearing long after our allotted time It wasn t enough to put me off but it might have dampened my enthusiasm As it transpired the morning came slightly better

Page 21

Adventure She March 2019 than predicted it was windy yes but the rain had blown away The best result we could have hoped for in October We arrived early at Abereiddy a cove at the bottom of a steep lane and between Fishguard and St Davids We wanted to walk the dog and to take a look at the Blue Lagoon the flooded out slate quarry that would be the culmination of our morning s trip While occasional gusts of wind got at us on the coast path the water in the lagoon looked relatively calm It helped assuage any nerves and let the excitement grow a little Soon enough the Celtic Quest Coasteering van rocked up on the beach and we went to introduce ourselves to Cleo and Jerry our guides The nature of coasteering is a bit rough on clothing so they provide all the gear you just need to bring suitable footwear trainers are fine I was fully suited and booted with a wetsuit zip at the back is the mantra even immortalised on the side of the van gloves hood waterproof socks gloves a cag helmet and buoyancy aid I was snug and ready to hit the water Our hosts were reassuring and positive consummate professional adults while at the same time indulging in their obvious enthusiasm for hurling themselves into the water at any available safe opportunity The tide was falling when we entered the water and I was personally relieved at that having previously at Abereiddy almost tipped myself off my A big huge thank you from the Adventure She team After reading our December issue which focused on resolutions and successfully implementing change into one s life Nicky Gaskell decided to undergo a change in her life Already an avid hiker she s joining the mountain leader training programme so she can further pursue her passions Thank you Nicky for sharing your news with us and good luck with your mountain leader training We ll definitely keep following your adventures as you post them on Instagram Nickygaskell247 Many thanks too to Celtic Coasteering for allowing us to use the images in this article 21

Page 22

Page 23

Adventure She March 2019 kayak when I paddled over a submerged rock Everything being visible meant less hidden horrors The adventure started I t h el p ed assu age an y n er ves an d l et t h e exci t em en t gr ow innocuously enough we waded waist high into the water and began to scramble across the rocks with Cleo and Jerry casually hopping over the rocks like marine mountain goats Their confidence was contagious but It was not all about scrambling along the tide line though We were soon introduced to the hitherto unknown world of how to throw yourself in the water with names First was easy jumping from the level we were standing on into a deep pool a forward leap with arms folded across our chests Everyone laughed everyone clapped the camaraderie in the group was building and we all felt emboldened and a bit more well daring Another scramble to a slightly higher point was our second take off point this time the aim being to look like a cannonball feet pulled up to chest with the biggest splash getting the biggest cheer No contest the big guy won I was starting to catch the bug trying to be the first it the queue each time something new presented itself My thought was I might only come this way once take everything on offer don t miss out or you ll regret it Why when you re out there miss out on anything Another cliff held four tiers of jumps and I did start to feel a bit wobbly but reasoned it out by thinking a reputable company would never put you in danger Risk avoidance is intuitive but the adrenaline rush of pushing through a risk is more addictive Penguin dives forward roll dives I failed that one looked more like dead man falling side twists and star jumps helped to distract the brain and the repetition of hitting the water made it less daunting I m not a strong swimmer and the open sea intimidates me but the buoyancy aid meant that when we had to manouevre from point to point through the water it was done more by directional floating than hardcore swimming very helpful when you then have to 23 scramble rocks to reach your next launch spot Sometimes that was an endeavour in itself thinking you have a good hold only to be pulled away again by the next swell oh how we laughed Despite the fact we were all having so much fun and weren t cold as being in the water was better than standing on the cliff side in the wind I found my strength being sapped Hauling yourself out of the water time after time combined T h ei r con f i d en ce w as con tagi ou s with the swimming was turning into a full body workout so much better than a boring old indoors gym The fresh air and the constantly moving sea made active from the storm the previous night with its drag and push certainly reminded you of how elemental it all was Also as it was early October it was pupping time for the seals We all either admired the pups that sheltered near rock pools from a respectable distance or we were being watched by the parents out in the waves behind us It was a different experience to be at their eye level and in their

Page 24

Adventure She March 2019 environment rather than observing from the cliffs above Our final stretch took us along the cut and blasted channel through the slate rock to the Blue Lagoon the deliberately flooded slate quarry At some points the water can be 25m deep with another 30m of cliff above the line On our coasteering day we had it all to ourselves like a giant private pool The lemmings with good 7 5 and 10m drops A different league there appeared to be a little more hesitation in the group and a bit less of wanting to go first This was what we had all been built up to bit by bit from stepping off a rock at water line level by gradual increments to this plunge All the practice for this chance to take a couple of quick steps off the edge into the air and wait for the remains of some of the structures that once Ever y on e l au gh ed ever y on e cl ap p ed th e cam ar ad er i e i n t h e gr ou p w as bu i l d i n g an d w e al l f el t em bol d en ed an d a bi t m or e w el l d ar i n g were part of the quarry provided us water 24 splash I m sure that I was under water for as long as it took for me to fall through the air and I felt safe Excited but safe It was a totally new experience for me knowing that I was overlooked by two pros gave me the confidence to do something I wouldn t have contemplated before A couple more jumps were attempted just to squeeze every last drop from it all then it felt such a shame that it

Page 25

Adventure She March 2019 was coming to an end Even though I was physically getting tired too much of a good thing can end up with you getting into bother if you didn t have the reserves to get out of the water or whatever I was actually squeaking Again again The final group photo said it all everyone I think felt the same the endorphins were jumping the smiles were broad and the memories were being imprinted I really have to thank Celtic Quest Coasteering and Cleo and Jerry for a brilliantly awesome adventure and I also had my fiance to thank for buying the voucher for my birthday Otherwise it could have been one of those things that you never get round to doing no matter how much you promise yourself My advice would be don t wait just do 25 War n in g Coasteering can be dangerous Aways go with a reputable organisation and guide that know the area and which have all necessary safety equipment insurance policies and permissions Also check your travel insurance policy covers coasteering

Page 26

Page 27

Adventure She March 2019 Mountaineeringisadangerousactivity If youare interestedingoingmountaineering great But please doas GemmaSmithdid andlearnthecraft withexperienced professionals HadGemmanot beenascapableasshewas Gemmaandher climbingpartner might not havereturned fromthistrip Takingthosefirst snowy mountainsteps For as long as I can recall I ve wanted to climb mountains In primary school when others dreamed of being ballet dancers and firemen I dreamed of snow tipped peaks and climbing Everest For a child living in suburbia in the North West of England this I discovered recently was not a normal thing children want to do Yet by the time I moved to London at 21 I d long since put to bed the idea of conquering mountains in far flung destinations I was too busy listening to the naysayers and the impossible dreamers people like me didn t go and climb mountains no matter how much my inner child wanted to But a quarter life crisis that put me in hospital provided a wake up call I couldn t keep going through the motions of life going to work getting home eating and going to bed only to repeat the process again and again I couldn t keep thinking of these incredible trips to do and places to visit and just writing them off So on what at the time very much felt like a whim it certainly was perceived that way by so many people I know I decided I was going to go to the one place in the world I d wanted to visit since I was that tiny redhead running around the playground Everest Catchingthe mountaineeringbug 27 You wouldn t think that a hike to Everest base camp could have such a profound effect on a person But this trek felt like a pilgrimage for childhood ambition Standing at base camp looking up at the endless mountains I knew I needed to come back to feel the wind whipping across the tops the sun beating down the snow underfoot and witness the curvature of the earth while looking out across an endless sea of mountain tops And so began my unexpected journey into mountaineering with new plans to conquer mountains in all corners of the globe before I d even set foot back in the UK Unfortunately it s not quite so simple to set off and climb mountains when you have no skills and for anyone wanting to get into mountaineering I can t

Page 28

Adventure She March 2019 recommend doing a winter skills course highly enough Building the foundational skills to understand how to safely deal with all the elements and all the seasons is essential Alas rain rain and more rain with a side helping of 60 mph winds and a sprinkling of snow was not quite the backdrop I expected when choosing to do a winter skills course in the depths of a Scottish winter Navigating learning crampon technique and some rather entertaining ice axes arrest practice in these conditions certainly showed why learning these crucial skills correctly is so important But you never stop learning in the mountain environment The skills and techniques I acquired over those five days in Scotland have seen me through three years of mountain adventures Though my mountaineering journey is still only in its infancy I would never have managed to take on some of my favourite challenges without them If anything my first mountaineering adventure reinforced why it s so important to be prepared before you take on a mountain challenge Thefirst peak Sitting at 4 810m the highest mountain in western Europe Mont Blanc was calling me With no climbing friends or mountain buddies to venture off with at the time I booked onto a commercial trip with an allocation of two people per guide As a solo traveller doing this it means you don t know 28 who will your climbing buddy for the week until that first course briefing Something that is somewhat of a concern when you don t know if they will have put in the same effort to skill up or if they will be as physically fit as you are In hindsight I don t know if it was fortunate or unfortunate but those concerns came to fruition for me I was landed with a perfectly pleasant but slightly incompetent individual who really shouldn t have made the trip given their existing skill and fitness level of zero Don t get me wrong I m all for encouraging others to give things like this a go but when someone puts another person s life at risk because they haven t taken the time to learn the necessary skills it s not good

Page 29

Adventure She March 2019 Like any mountain there s a multitude of routes up Mont Blanc ranging from the well used novice friendly slopes to spikey and complex ridge routes ideal for experienced climbers The most popular and seen as the easiest route the Go ter Route winds its way up to the mountain summit from Les Houches in the Chamonix valley Across two days it takes you from a beautiful cog and pin train across snowy fields up rocky ridges and along rolling false summits with an overnight in the Go ter Hut which looks like a Bond villains lair from the late 60 s as it glimmers and glistens from its perch on a rocky arete I don t know what I really expected when we set off for our ascent of Mont Blanc lots of people hot weather even heatstroke weren t on the list Ascending next to the notorious Grand Couloir dodging rockfall skin stinging from sunburn and vision waning due to overheating is not what most would associate with a snowy scene Having to rely on stuffing snow and ice under my helmet and on my neck to lower my body temperature was the only way I managed to push myself on to the Go ter Hut our stop for the evening It certainly brought home just how carefully balanced our bodies are and how easy it can be to get into trouble in the most unexpected ways With a backdrop of twinkling stars and bobbing head torches we set off zigzagging up the mountainside at 2am on summit day A never ending slog we seemed to walk forever my one distinct memory of it was debating with myself why I thought it was a good idea to make this trip at all Yet the second those first rays of light peaked out from the horizon all thoughts of difficulties vanished Curving around crevasses along ridge lines and over endless false summits it became a desperate desire to see more see further stand above it all on the elusive mountain summit There are no words to truly describe the feeling of standing on the summit of your first big mountain elation astonishment and exhaustion doesn t quite capture it all The magnificent alps stretched out in all directions snow capped peak 29 after snow capped peak like gleaming spires as far as the eye could see Altitudedemons Standing on the summit it s so easy to forget that the journey is only 50 complete that you can t relax just yet After all it s well known that more accidents happen on the descent of a mountain and the descent of Mont Blanc was undoubtedly more eventful for our trio of guide and clients When someone is putting their crampons on the wrong feet and constantly standing on the rope at altitude it s reasonably clear that something s not right But when that person has no experience and it s someone you don t know it s hard to judge if it s purely due to inexperience or a sign of something worse Unfortunately after arriving at the summit of Mont Blanc it became clear the other client had neglected to tell anyone that he was experiencing some pretty serious symptoms of altitude sickness Combined with exhaustion it resulted in a situation I certainly wouldn t want to relive anytime soon

Page 30

Adventure She March 2019 Trying to literally talk someone down a mountain for hours is hard If I m totally honest it s more than a little scary when you re attached by a rope to someone who is becoming an increasing danger to both themselves and everyone else in the group from the summit than it had to make the journey up that morning By the time we got back to the hut a helicopter was the only option for the rest of his descent he had become too much of a liability and a risk to not only himself but our own lives to take him any further down the mountain than the Go ter hut You might be thinking it s a guide s job to care for clients in this situation and you d be right but when your guide would rather curse out their sick client and then chooses to help a friend out and take another sick person instead you re not left with much choice Seeing the helicopter land to collect him was a welcome relief but it provided a stark reminder that we were now 4 hours behind schedule We should have already been back in Chamonix celebrating our successful summit instead we faced a race to make the last train of the day and all that stood between us making it was several thousand meters of snow rock and ice including a crossing of the Grand Couloir during the hottest part of the day when rock fall is most likely Force feeding him sweets water and making him move when all he wanted to do was sit down was an ordeal At one stage he was so out of it he threw his walking pole into a crevasse and wanted to climb in to retrieve it Despite losing altitude as we descended he didn t appear to be getting any better and with his stumbling dragging walk it took us double the amount of time to get back to the Go ter Hut I ve never been so glad I had taken up rock climbing Descending the rocky ridgeline finding 30

Page 31

Adventure She March 2019 hand and foot placements seemed to be a dream compared with earlier experience on far simpler terrain Aside from ducking a few falling rocks the rest of the descent was a breeze and a few child like toboggans later we reached the train to take us back down to the valley bottom Lookingbacktomoveforwards Despite everything climbing Mont Blanc was an incredible trip and it gave me such a unique launch into my subsequent mountaineering heavy life Several years on its continued to define how I choose to undertake trips and who I choose who to go with both from a commercial and non commercial perspective It s also a trip which left me feeling like the strongest person around riding on an adrenaline high for days after 31

Page 32

Page 33

Page 34

Adventure She March 2019 About Gemma Smith Take a hike If you want to enjoy mountaineering you need to get used to being in the mountain environment in general and in all weather conditions Go hiking in your nearest mountains in the UK Snowdonia and Scotland provide the perfect hiking environment all year round If you plan to go in winter make sure you ve learnt how to use a map compass crampons and ice axe first Gemma describes herself as a part time adventurer and mountain climber She is also now a qualified Mountain Leader which allows her to lead groups in the mountains hills and moorlands of the UK and Ireland You can follow Gemma on these social media channels Get yourself on an outdoor first aid course It s something you hope you will never need to use but knowing the basics of first aid in the outdoors and extreme environments could save someone s life Understanding altitude sickness symptoms is a critical part of this Instagram gemlaurensmith Twitter GemLaurenSmith https gemlaurensmith com Learn how to rock climb As your mountaineering progresses being comfortable with ropes and basic climbing technique can be really useful Climbing is becoming an increasingly popular sport so find your nearest climbing wall and go sign up for an introduction class you ll be scaling the walls before you know it Gemma sTopTips Gettingintomountaineering Find an adventure buddy Commercial trips are great for solo adventurers and you can meet some great people but there s always the chance you ll be stuck with people who drive you nuts In the age of social media there s a multitude of ways to find new adventure buddies from UKC s forum to the Womenclimb resources to connect female climbers Your local climbing wall will typically always have people looking for new climbing partners too The most critical factor in any adventure buddy is that you can trust them implicitly If scaling peaks around the world is something that tickles your fancy here s my top tips for getting into mountaineering and alpinism Sign up for a winter skills course Some of the most valuable skills you can have in the mountains come from doing a winter skills course You ll learn all about navigating in the snowy mountains how to stay safe use technical equipment and a multitude of other skills 34

Page 35

Adventure She March 2019 Choosingaguideor climbingcompany golden rules sum it up best 1 If you feel unwell you have altitude sickness until proven otherwise I ve had great guides for trips and guides I wouldn t wish on another soul When it comes to finding the right guide for you there s a couple of things to take into consideration 2 Do not ascend further if you have symptoms of altitude sickness Depending on the type of trip you re doing guides will have different qualifications For anything technical in the UK in winter then you want to look for someone who has their Mountaineering Instructor Certificate or is a British Mountain Guide Internationally look for IFMGA accredited guides 3 If you are getting worse then descend immediately Check out the altitude org website to find out more about what you should look for and treatment If you re booking onto a pre planned trip ask the company for details about the guide assigned to the trip If you re unsure they would be right for you call the company and explain your concerns Look for information about them online There s a wealth of databases such as Explore Share where you can book directly with guides and read reviews from their previous clients Spottingaltitudesickness If you re planning on climbing mountains above about 2 500m understanding the signs of altitude sickness is invaluable Mild altitude sickness can feel similar to a handover with headaches nausea and fatigue but at the more severe end of the spectrum it can result in fluid on the brain or lungs known as HACE and HAPE respectively To deal with altitude sickness Dr David Shlim s three 35

Page 36

Page 37

Page 38

Page 39

Adventure She March 2019 Ar en t you scar ed No I m excited When everyone I told about my upcoming trip had the same shocked reaction I got the feeling I must be mad but rather than put me off their reaction made me think Maybe I could do something special and raise money for charity As a teenager I d lost a close childhood friend in a car crash despite the best efforts of the Midlands Air Ambulance they were unable to save him I thought the charity would be a worthy cause that people could support A few internet searches revealed a long distance cycle route from Canterbury to Rome a pilgrim cycle route called EuroVelo 5 otherwise known as Via Francigena I felt like I had hit the jackpot The route was ideal for me and my dog Rolo Rolo is a big part of my life and I wanted to share the trip with him and have him by my side to give him the doggy experience of a lifetime The route went through parks woodlands disused railways tracks canals quiet roads and also included a few cities The website provided maps and GPS routes and it was signposted With such a good resources I felt 39

Page 40

Adventure She March 2019 confident What could go wrong Five short test rides further highlighted my complete lack of bike maintenance skills The gears became unaligned the chain snapped and bits with strange names broke what s a derailleur I didn t have a clue How on earth would I get to Rome when I couldn t even get out of my hometown Undaunted I booked onto a one day bike maintenance course to teach me exactly what those decorative disk features did and I d found a couple of popular cycling apps for the route but no matter what I tried I couldn t get the hang of them With one week till departure I was now running out of time A friend recommended a GPS but most of the routes either wouldn t download or were corrupt Panic stations Without the route I imagined ending up on all sorts of busy roads and getting lost in dodgy areas so my friend came to the rescue and spent countless hours creating new GPS files for France and Belgium As it turned out the route was the least of my worries Before we even left England the trip was in jeopardy The first couple of days were mostly on country trails and Rolo had been alternating between the trailer and happily running around so I was surprised when I noticed his paws were getting sore I had planned to use my phone for navigation Thinking he needed a rest I put him in the trailer It didn t worry me that I d never cycled more than ten miles or I didn t yet own a bike I was so blissfully ignorant that when I went to collect my touring bike I actually thought that what turned out to be the disk brake was a decorative feature 40

Page 41

Adventure She March 2019 heading to Rome but after a day in there his paws were even more red raw I was so confused and upset for hurting my best pal What was going on By this time Rolo was almost fully recovered and I was getting fit from all the miles some of which felt like I was on a wild goose chase The internet had told me that the route from Calais was supposed to be signposted but I didn t see any signs until I was half way through Belgium Then each country the route went through had an individual website that didn t always match the main website sometimes even the information on the same page was conflicting with the map In addition none of the routes met at border crossings there was always twenty to thirty miles of no man s land over the border where no one had bothered to connect the dots I d assumed it was all the miles he was running in unfamiliar terrain but now it looked like the floor of his dog trailer was sandpapering his feet As soon as I realized I covered the trailer base in soft bedding and the vet prescribed some creme and protective boots It wasn t long before he was back running like he had been fitted with supercharged Duracell batteries I followed the Sustrans cycle route to Dover Rolo wouldn t be allowed on the ferry unless he was in a vehicle so my Dad met us in Dover to catch the ferry to Calais After an overnight stop and an emotional goodbye the pedals were in motion Although it was well established trying to follow 41

Page 42

Adventure She March 2019 All that weight meant there was very little freewheeling Unless I was going down a big hill I had to continuously pedal or else I slowly ground to a halt If pedaling on the tarmac wasn t hard enough the route often took me on tracks more suited to tractors 4x4s mountain bikes and mountain goats Some days it felt like I was on an obstacle course as I was constantly unclipping the trailer and unloading the bike to get over boulders fallen trees and down paths so narrow the trailer wouldn t fit Some hills were so steep and muddy it was difficult to walk up never mind cycle so I would have to carry everything up the slippery tracks one item at a time the route was the cause of most of my frustration Still I chose to stick with it and follow as best I could In the end since pulling together all the route information was difficult on my phone my boyfriend based in England would help me easing countless hours of frustration By day sixty six I had covered over 1600 miles including an excruciating 2106 meters over the Alps I was now half way through my seventh and final country and I felt I was finally getting in my stride There was a problem though my knees had been getting more and more painful so it was with a mixture of delight and horror that I found out that I still had to climb the Italian Apennine mountain range I was certain cycling over them would cause some serious damage I was so close to the finish I had 350 miles remaining and I couldn t stop now My donations had exceeded my initials expectations I had incredible support with friends and family and my Facebook page was getting new supporters every day I couldn t let all of those people down and most of all I couldn t let myself down I decided that if I couldn t cycle I would walk and push the bike I wasn t going to let anything stop me now from reaching my goal Sleep deprivation proved to be another unexpected challenge for the entire trip I did not sleep well and there were many reasons for this Rolo is scared of loud noises and throughout Europe there would be at least three thunderstorms a week Spending the night in a tent with a petrified dog that was trying to hide made sleeping impossible Plus I was anxious when we wild camped Even when I wasn t wild camping and stayed with people thanks to Warm Showers my mind would be overactive thinking about the trip no matter how tired and aching my body I called my brother Dan who in no time at all found me a physiotherapist that was only an hour away and spoke perfect English It was one of those occasions that I was so glad I asked for help My worst fears were that he would tell me I couldn t cycle for a while but he gave me some daily exercises and strapped up my legs with fluorescent pink kinesiology tape which made me look suitably ridiculous but worked wonders and meant I could continue but I had to take it easy well as easy as possible cycling over a mountain towing about 50kg in weight Then towards the end of the trip my air bed needed blowing up five or six times a night At the beginning everyone was worried about my safety yet in reality the kindness of strangers was wonderful People stopped and asked about my story Often they donated cash which I passed on to the charity Passers by would stop their cars to help me fix the bike women would buy Rolo treats in the market or give him sausages as we passed 42

Page 43

Adventure She March 2019 their outdoor restaurant table I even got taken out for meals and invited into people s homes My supporters on Facebook were incredible and after a long and hard day their words of encouragement were priceless Occasionally I stayed in pilgrim accommodation and people would often bend the rules and allow Rolo to stay in my room or they would help me find a safe patch of grass to camp Although I was unprepared to start this journey I was excited at the prospect of venturing into the unknown The fear of not going on an adventure and missing out on new experiences always outweighs my fear and worry of all of the problems that may occur If your dreams are bigger than your problems you will find a way to succeed 43

Page 44

Adventure She March 2019 You can f ollow Leila an d Rolo on t h e f ollow in g social m edia ch an n els Website www leilasmith co uk Instagram Leila in the woods Facebook LeilaRolo Abou t M idlan ds Air Am bu lan ce According to its website http www midlandsairambulance com Midlands Air Ambulance is the charity responsible for funding and operating three air ambulances Since 1991 the charity has responded to more than 50 000 missions averaging 2 000 per year making it one of the longest established and busiest air ambulance organisations in the UK The charity s three aircraft each carry a crew comprising pilot two paramedics or flight doctors plus full life support medical equipment Operating from strategically located regional airbases 90 per cent of the region is within reach within eight minutes If a patient reaches hospital within the Golden Hour 60 minutes after their injury their chances of survival are dramatically increased That is why the rapid response of the Midlands Air Ambulance is so vital in an emergency situation 44

Page 45

Page 46

Adventure She March 2019 I don t consi der myself an acci dent prone person but the amount of materi al I have for thi s arti cle would seem to suggest otherwi se Fran Edmunds Reading those words with an issue planned on when things go wrong as they sometimes will we simply had to include Fran Edmunds story on hospitals around the world Besides it made one of our team feel a tad better on realising she s not the only one who s ended up in the hospitals of several countries On a more serious side it reminds us all of the important of travel insurance and the need to take our the correct policy for our destination and activities Us British we are proud of our National Health Services NHS and see it as something that sets us apart from other countries but how does it actually compare to health care systems abroad dramatic rift valleys in Ethiopia However a few incidents have led to unplanned visits to hospitals around the globe These were eye opening experiences that gave me a unique At the age of 27 I consider myself a competent and adventurous traveller Recent trips include camping on volcanic islands in Rwanda and trekking through 46 insight into life in a different country As such I have decided to share these even if they showcase my incompetence more than my great adventuring ability

Page 47

Adventure She March 2019 FRANCE Ef f icien t ef f ect ive expen sive My first foreign medical encounter was in the French Ski resort of Val D Isere not necessarily the most interesting story but provides a good point of reference I had a disappointingly ordinary fall in some deep snow off piste twisting round on my ski a few times Unable to put weight on my left leg I slid down on my bottom to the gondola It took me directly to a swanky medical clinic perfectly positioned for mountain accidents I was a little disappointed to not get taken by skidoo off the mountain but as I was off piste in a whiteout it was quicker to get myself down After an X ray and assessment by an English speaking doctor I was strapped up kitted out with a pair of ice crutches and sent on my way to await full diagnosis back in UK This would have received a 5 review if there was a Trip Advisor equivalent for hospital clinics Equipped with crampons the ice crutches were particularly useful over the next 6 months One poke with these and my friends were very happy to fetch anything I asked for Above Fr en ch par am edics t r eat in g on e of t h e Adven t u r e Sh e t eam w h o d f allen of f h er bike an d gash ed open h er leg t o t h e sh in bon e Below Th e w ou n d all st it ch ed u p an d br u ises developin g n icely a f ew days lat er Im ages cou r t esy of J A Har r ies Following the basic principles of supply and demand every European ski resort is well equipped to treat any apr s ski injury I had to pay for treatment initially but successfully claimed this back on 47

Page 48

Adventure She March 2019 travel insurance The higher premiums for ski cover are well justified Uncertain of what the facilities would use I asked the nurse to clean the not been considered leaving be like in such a wound and order an it under funded and remote location I was relieved when X ray which she dutifully did under resourced we arrived at a large Viet n am Th an k you Google The next hospital trip was not for me this time a fellow traveller had her foot run over by a van in the beautiful mountain town of Sapa in North Vietnam Luckily we were with some well built Canadians who cornered the perpetrator and made him take us to hospital A while later a man in jeans and a t shirt modern building I Spain A Wak e Up Call was less reassured however when we showed up he was I am on the floor of stepped inside It the doctor the only Barcelona airport was a ghost town doctor Fortunately the x ray showed no after a work trip semi conscious There was one breaks and my vomiting and nurse who spoke no friend left with just a struggling to English and seemed prescription for quite unsure what to do After waiting an painkillers and antibiotics T his a breathe After an agonising 30 minute hour for a doctor I clear example of arrive whip down decided to take where there has control of the situation With the been a great initiative to fund the my trousers and inject a life saving dose of adrenaline help of trusty Google building of a new into my bottom This Translate I put my hospital but where years of veterinary training to some the long term running costs have was quite a shock for my new work 48 wait the paramedics colleagues and also

Page 49

Adventure She March 2019 totally unnecessary deflated That day I paramedics the to my rescue and as injecting into my was not so lucky I reaction came under drove me to hospital arm muscle would ate a chocolate tiffin control quickly I was I was admitted have been equally from a well known coffee shop chain I wheeled off a little dazed and shaky to overnight and put on a drip that pumped knew it was nut free catch my flight to me full of steroids to I have had a nut in UK but I San Sebastian where suppress my allergy since I was little and always double checked anyway Even so 20 I was holidaying with some university immune system With a GCSE Spanish carry Epipens in case minutes later I was friends I can get by as a of a serious itchy covered in reaction Until then however reactions hives and my face effective had been moderate resembled a juicy ripe tomato It and easily managed with a heavy dose of antihistamines and a tourist but my Your immune system remains on red alert medical vocabulary and secondary is somewhat limited I had great exchange immediately felt reactions can be with a nurse trying worse than before so triggered without reason The next day to explain to her that cool bath followed I injected myself with my Epipen for the that happened A I was on my period and needed a new by a day in hiding first time After retired nurse and her tampon only I didn t while my face treatment from the husband kindly came know the words for 49

Page 50

Adventure She March 2019 Wh at s in you r m edical k it disapprovingly at the many bandaged hobbling tourists With an hour s drive left I had no choice but to hop back on who had clearly the bike We soon fallen off a moped came by a few drunk roadside sellers A One weekend I very sweet old lady helped wash my leg hired a small and gave me some motorbike to visit some caves a ointment couple of hours Back in Chiang Mai I either of these She remote I m now away It was a scenic was met by the lady eventually over cautious when understood after me I travel carry a but slightly nerve wracking running the volunteer scheme repeatedly saying suitcase full of drive along windy who insisted on No soy embarazada I m Epipens and irritating waiters by mountain paths On taking me to a the way back a truck swanky private not pregnant repeatedly checking accompanied by the ingredients came round a sharp bend on the wrong hospital It was luxurious I had my side of the road I own room and more Th ailan d an d swerved and ended medical staff In dia Rich es t o Rags up buried underneath my bike attending to me than I imagine the some comical gesturing The hospital treatment was good Queen would have A little shaken I pulled the bike off They even gave me a pretty comparable This last incident I to NHS and waving am little my EHIC card I was embarrassed about but it was most damage I had lost eye opening due to a lot of skin and After precautionary was a little shaken the contrast by the experience between the hospitals I visited for gained a lot of gravel I was wearing x rays and a thorough wound shorts as well as clean I was treatment While some heavy bruising instructed to get my been a lot worse if I volunteering in from where the bike had been Chiang Mai Thailand had landed on me dressings changed every other day This somewhere more I had looked on not charged anything However I and realised that the situation may have me and assessed the branded goodie bag when I left was fine in Thailand 50

Page 51

Adventure She March 2019 but soon I headed off to India which syringe from one of the many pharmacy street vendors all time receiving adequate treatment They have also been not necessarily comparable to those of locals We are in a battling for a sale a great reminder privileged position Landing in Mumbai I Apparently this was that human when travelling headed to the best hospital Google safe and only cost kindness exists abroad and also at 10p anywhere in the world home with free access to high was a little different didn t quite get it right this time It The Mumbai was busy and chaotic in typical hospital was not dirty but as I had a However it is also worth remembering Indian well stocked medical that my experiences care from the NHS Let s hope there is fashion however kit I could replicate are from the no need for a Part here this meant very sick people lying on the level of sterility myself From then perspective of a Western tourist who 2 at the end of any spare piece of on I decided to will one way or floor they could find change my own another pay for dressings I hope treatment They are front of a very long this freed up time to treat locals in more queue and felt guilty need as many were in much greater need Con clu sion I was skipped to the quality relatively A little pragmatism tetanus booster given the humidity and sense of humour helped me and dirtiness of to navigate through India I agreed even embrace these expecting him to get sometimes unconventional a vaccine from the fridge This situations however is India Instead he sent my On the whole my friend out to buy the vaccine needle and experiences have 2019 Th e au t h or f in ally en joyin g a h oliday t h ou gh per h aps n ot exact ly t h e h oliday sh e d in t en ded on leavin g h om e The doctor recommended a efficient medical been positive each 51

Page 52

Page 53

Adventure She March 2019 Imagine if you were part of a team of two that were the first people male or female to thru hike the Greater Patagonian Trail Well Bethany Hughes and her hiking team mate Lauren Reed don t need to imagine for they were the first A community called Her Odyssey has come together to empower Bethany and Lauren not just to travel the length of the Americas by non motorized means but to also tell the stories of the land and its inhabitants When we here at Adventure She magazine heard about them we simply had to ask them if they would be kind enough to share part of their story with us after all what a way to start our new UNECO World Heritage Site series Both were delighted to share a little bit about their experience and in the end Bethany is the one that wrote the words We re really grateful to both of you and send you huge congratulations on having treked and paddled your way across the whole of South America 53

Page 54

Adventure She March 2019 FIVEHUNDREDYEARSAGO THEINCAEMPIREDOMINATED THEANDES The Qhapaq an or Andean Road System was a network of over 30 000 km It connected and estimated 12 million people from hundreds of tribes under a single rule The road system connected Cerro Aconcagua of Central Argentina in the south to the jungles of Peru and corners of Colombia in the north It spans six modern day countries and in 2014 UNESCO granted it World Heritage Site status Despite the vast reaches of trail and dozens of intact and hikeable lengths remaining a single 43 kilometer segment receives the most international attention and therefore bears the brunt of use This segment is known as the Inca Trail and it ends at Machu Picchu While hundreds of sites in the region have the capacity to capture the imagination and baffle the modern mind Machu Picchu which was itself designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO as far back as 1983 is the most popular destination with visitors Hiram Bingham brought Machu 54

Page 55

Adventure She March 2019 Picchu into the modern global narrative in 1911 When he arrived local Quechua people were still farming the terraces built by their ancestors Some things remain the same llamas still graze descendants of the indigenous people adapt and thrive and the smooth stones reverently and painstakingly fitted together still stand Now 6 000 visitors a day roam the famous terraces of which 500 walk there along the world famous Inca Trail which is also called the Sacred Trail the end of the road in the Sacred Valley where there is a small shop a few houses and a drop off location for hiking groups The Social Trail is unsanctioned unadvertised and therefore quieter than most other trails in the area In my experience of walking both routes this one felt more authentic if less spectacular You often get the small archaeological sites to yourself access via footbridges to a few of the larger sites along the Sacred Trail and a look into the agrarian lives of locals Other advantages are that it does not require permits or a guide and it does not cost anything The grade is easy as it follows a rail line stays around 2 000 m in elevation and it can be run in a day or easily walked in two days THESOCIALTRAIL There is however a second trail known as the Social Trail which follows the Urubamba river and the rail line to the town of Aguas Calientes in the valley below the ruins of Machu Picchu Each trail offers benefits and challenges ranging from terrain to logistics Both routes begin at Kilometer 82 The disadvantage to hiking the Social Trail to Aguas Calientes is that some sections 55

Page 56

Adventure She March 2019 overlap with the rail line You may choose to use the road through the settlement at km 82 to avoid the station master From there the trail wanders back and forth from being on the actual rail tracks to footpaths which parallel it This means you have to be prepared to hop out of the way for the trains There is some tourism infrastructure along the Social route though not nearly as organized as on the Sacred Trail All in all this route is not strenuous but is rich in ruins like Inca Stairs and provides a sense of solitude you ll have trouble finding anywhere else in the heavily traveled Sacred Valley Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consetetur THESACREDTRAIL The more famous Sacred Trail now requires a permit advance booking hiring a guide and associated fees 600 3 000 USD The hike takes anywhere from 2 5 days The trail climbs high and at times steeply wandering from an arid river valley into lush cloud forest and up mountain passes revealing sweeping views of the 56

Page 57

Adventure She March 2019 Andes range The trail itself like all parts of the Inca trail I ve traveled along is a feat of ingenuity with natural stone tunnels entire sections of stairs carved into a single face and long stretches of perfectly interlaid stonework all devised to drain water and hold its ground a trail maker s highest ambition The stone trail is generally wide though along some ridge lines there are steep drop offs where more than just the beautiful views will take your breath away Camping is in designated pay sites which are pre booked through your guide or agency The trail passes a dozen striking ruins and archaeological sites and guides share stories on history and local insight On the final morning along the Sacred Trail groups are awoken at 3 or 4 am in the scramble to be the first ones to the Sun Gate and to see Machu Picchu at sunrise People leapfrog and edge their way past one another along one of the most precipitous and narrow lengths of trail I found this to be the most stressful day of the trek Still the Sun Gate is beautiful and on a clear day the view of the world famous ruins are truly astounding 57

Page 58

Page 59

Adventure She March 2019 IMPACTOFPUBLICITYONMACHUPICCHU noticed him wedging the cigarette butt in between some rocks and since I was already making the rounds picking up trash I asked if he would mind putting the butt in my little trash bag He was sheepish but willing Then on our final morning at the Sun Gate as all of us sat perched on the walls at the Sun Gate waiting for clouds to part over Machu Picchu I noticed he was smoking again This time when he finished he carefully put it out and placed it in a little trash bag in his pocket It brightened my soul even as the sun fell across the ruins below us However there are costs to the past 100 years of use to which Machu Picchu has been put ever since Hiram Bingham brought it into the public s awareness Artifacts have allegedly been stolen a verdant canopy of trees is stained by fumes of the buses belching up and down the steep climb from Aguas Calientes to the site once pristine stretches of trail are treated as open bathrooms and ancient rock architecture is now crammed with trash and cigarette butts One of my most impactful experiences of the trail began when our group approached one of the passes where several other groups were stopped People were grumbling about an individual who was smoking a cigarette I Overuse in fact poses a serious and under considered threat to Machu Picchu While UNESCO advises no more than 2 500 59

Page 60

Adventure She March 2019 the rulers and regarded as the navel of the empire it now serves as the hub for visitors and is called the Tourism Capital of Peru visitors a day through an elaborate system of permits and time schedules Peru admits around 6 000 visitors a day including 500 for people using the Sacred Trail RESPONSIBLETOURISM If you are interested in getting off the beaten path the entire region is a veritable treasure trove of archaeological sites peaceful pockets of ancient splendor cliff top dwellings and formations the purpose of which remain a mystery to modernity In the 7 000 kilometers we ve spent following the Qhapaq an the Sacred Valley held the highest concentration of visitors and with good reason The Sacred Valley hosts many of the most spectacular remnants of the Inca empire and traveling with a knowledgeable guide deepens both understanding and appreciation In terms of historical value and archaeology the fame is well deserved But our interest comes at a steep price Is it ethical to promote further traffic to an already overtaxed site when there are literally hundreds of other sites dozens within the same area where hikers and day visitors can experience the remains of this Some other designated sites within the Cusco area worth visiting are Pisac Ollantaytambo Salinas de Maras Choquequirao and there are also hundreds of other ruins spanning from Argentina to Ecuador Like Machu Picchu the city of Cusco was itself designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO as far back as 1983 Once home to 60

Page 61

Adventure She March 2019 adhere to leave no trace practices respect the sites and resources and even pack out some extra trash one might find If we help educate other visitors and guides on responsible tourism then in time they too can help educate even more people thereby multiplying the impact of our own responsible tourism practices proud culture A person cannot love something without knowing it An on the ground experience deepens connection and how you value and understand the rich history of the Inca Empire Considering what we as a visitor can bring to the experience to enrich and preserve such treasures is equally as important as the effect it has upon us As visitors we need to remember to approach places such as the Sacred Valley with spirit of humility Perhaps we should consider visiting alternative sites to decrease the concentration of impact We should certainly 61

Page 62

Adventure She March 2019 ABOUTBETHANY FIDGIT HUGHES When Ishe was 4 Fidgit moved with her family to Ecuador Age 6 they moved to Chile Age 10 it was on to the Dominican Republic then at 12 they returned to the US and lived in Texas Colorado and Missouri She s worked on a cattle ranch in Montana guided Boy Scouts in New Mexico and with sled dogs in Alaska Whilst at university she studied in the UK for a year during which she hiked the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path see the March and June 2018 issues of Adventure She magazine for more on that epic hike She went on to teach in Mallorca and then in her own words kept hopping around until I found thru hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail ABOUTLAUREN NEON REED Neon Lauren s trail name is one serious hiker having completed the Triple Crown of thru hiking which comprises the Appalachian Trail the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide trail Between thru hikes Neon s worked as a wilderness guide in Utah 62

Page 63

Page 64

Adventure She March 2019 MOREABOUTMACHUPICCHUANDSHINING PATHFROMTHEADVENTURESHETEAM 1911 15THCENTURY Machu Picchu was founded in the mid 15th century It has frequently been described as the Lost City of the Incas the place where the Incas eventually fled to after warring with the Spanish Nowadays people generally consider that place to be Vilcabamba with Machu Picchu having been an estate of the Inca emperor Pachacuti who ruled from 1438 to 1471 we ve also read the date 1472 When Hiram Bingham first saw Machu Picchu in 1911 some of its famous terraces were used for agriculture but vegetation covered a lot of it 1980 STOEARLY1990 S In 1983 just over 100 000 people visited Machu Picchu By 1987 visitor numbers were still under 200 000 Then they dropped off to less than 100 000 visiting in 1991 A key reason why visitor numbers halved between 1987 and 1991 with only low increases in 1992 and 1993 is Sendero Luminoso or Shining Path It utilised guerrilla tactics and terrorism as it attempted to take over the country In some areas it even killed very poor locals asleep in their homes late at night According to the Chicago Tribune newspaper dated 17 August 1986 and sourced online Sendero also dynamited a tourist train leaving Cusco for the popular ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu killing seven vacationers including an American and injuring 40 others In the same article an official is quoted as saying Four years ago we had 397 000 tourists in one year in Peru and for us that s a big amount It s been going down and down since then From Jan 1 to Aug 1 this year I don t think we ve had 50 000 64

Page 65

Adventure She March 2019 POST1992 MACHUPICCHUNOW In 1992 the leader of Shining Path Guzman was captured in Lima Since then visitor numbers have increased most years the exceptions being 2009 possibly due to the global financial crisis and 2010 when horrendous floods hit the area Today about 1 2 million people visit Machu Picchu each year compared to less than 100 000 in 1991 In 2007 Machu Picchu was named one of the seven modern wonders of the world by an internet poll As always visitors should keep an eye on various travel advisory websites and try to keep up with news when in a country This is particularly relevant in South America at the moment where the situation in Venezuela has the potential to worsen and even possibly stir up animosities in other South American countries 2013 On 15 February 2013 another USA based newspaper USA Today revealed the US Embassy in Lima had issued a warning to U S tourists of a potential kidnapping threat in the Cuzco region including the famed Inca citadel of Machu Piccu This too was a threat from Shining Path The article reported that the warning drew vehement objections from Peruvian officials Hopefully any such problems will not BOOKSONMACHUPICCHU Our editor found Lost City of the Incas by Hiram Bingham a tough read when she hiked the Sacred Trail to Machu Picchu in January 1993 Another previous contributor to this magazine failed to finish it More recently our editor didn t persevere on starting to reread Hiram Bingham s book But she loved Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams claiming it contained history adventure and suffering which combined made for brilliant reading UNESCOWORLDHERITAGE Machu Piccu and the City of Cusco were declared UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1983 Since then numerous other Inca sites have also been granted UNESCO World Heritage listing The following website is an excellent and easy to read source of more information on Machu Picchu s World Heritage listing 65

Page 66

Page 67

Page 68

Page 69

Adventure She March 2019 around and swimming in Lake Montriond it seemed like they would be a pretty good bunch to embark on an adventure with for us and then guide us Instead we wanted to take full responsibility for every aspect of the three weeks journey someone a fortune or to be an expert with decades of experience in order to go out and enjoy an activity of this kind The premise of the trip was simple Laura wanted those taking part to learn how to plan and run an expedition themselves Part of this was to reduce costs but the main reason was to empower us all to understand that these sorts of trips adventures expeditions or whatever you want to call them are actually accessible to most people You don t have to pay In total we were going to canoe about 900 km from Whitehorse the capital of Yukon Territory to Eagle in Alaska and I would be responsible for organising the first six days of the journey We didn t want to simply pay someone to organise everything 69 After reading several blogs and

Page 70

Adventure She March 2019 websites about the river I settled on a guide written by Mike Rourke As the Yukon Territory is so remote and sparse you could fit the UK into the Yukon Territory three times you can t just buy an Ordnance Survey style detailed map of the area which enabled us to identify all manner of interesting landmarks and sites from the Gold Rush era along the way The Yukon Territory is an incredible place perhaps one of the most ruggedly beautiful and remote regions of North America You can download satellite images but the recommendation was to useRourke s basic maps to navigate This seemed quite old fashioned but in fact his maps were excellent and once on the river we realised just how accurate they were Rourke s maps also included some very detailed commentary about the history of the region The river is almost 2 000 miles long and flows From Canada right through Alaska to the Bering Sea Whitehorse has a population of roughly 25 000 people and there are only 35 000 in the Yukon Territory as a whole which means there are approximately two moose for every one 70

Page 71

Page 72

Adventure She March 2019 person My leg of the trip took us from Whitehorse to the next town on the River Carmacks which we would reach after 193 miles or approximately a 6 day paddle Despite passing through two towns on our 16 day journey we decided to carry most of our supplies from Whitehorse so that we weren t reliant on spending time looking for a re supply if we were running tight on time Food was kept in water tight barrels with anything fragrant having to be placed in a more secure bear barrel I prepared a route card to split the journey into daily legs This also detailed the distance to cover each day and an estimated time based on the speed of the river along with GPS check points information about the river such as sightseeing or nature opportunities and potential camp sites A copy was given to each boat along with copies of the map I then had the detailed version in my canoe and I would sit at the front of the group and navigate Many of us had very limited canoeing experience before arriving in Canada so it took us a few days to master our paddling technique On the lakes progress was slow but generally the river flowed quickly At some of the narrower sections we could reach 6mph by just floating along We would set up camp each night where the river banks were not too steep or overgrown with the thick coniferous forests that seemed to line every inch of the way As the river widened we would also camp on the vast sand bars that braided the water into separate channels We had to ensure that any potential camps were large enough to set up our equipment in the right way making sure that we were bear safe and able to cook away from our tents Despite wild camping some of the earlier sites were quite well visited and on occasions there were even wooden latrines and fire pits We soon settled into our routine ensuring that upon arrival at a camp after a quick bear check we prioritised group kit and things like erecting a shelter chopping firewood and getting dinner on the go before setting up the tents and 72 conducting personal administration If we were lucky one of us would have caught some fish to add to supper We were outside of Salmon season so this was mainly Grayling or Pike In August it didn t get dark until well after 11pm so we would sit together by the fire drying our socks and finishing the evening with a hot chocolate and a splash of whiskey Temperatures dropped a lot at night but we were well prepared as we had all worked through a kit list before the trip which meant that while we had minimal kit what we did have was more than enough When it was time for bed we changed into different clothes and put our campfire kit down at the canoes so any smells that might attract bears or wolves would be away from where we were sleeping We also took precautions by using unscented toiletries partly for the bears but also because we wanted to use natural products rather than risk releasing chemicals into the environment around us The weather was typical for the Yukon in August When the sun came out it was lovely and warm but there were also cloudy days

Page 73

Adventure She March 2019 and plenty of rain In fact it probably rained at some point during most days The nights had some cloud but we were treated to some very clear nights and were able to see the Northern Lights a first for me and a truly mind blowing experience The Yukon has a lot of history In 1896 prospectors found gold in a creek near Dawson City When news got out over 100 000 people rushed there and hundreds of boats paddle steamers were built to serve the needs of trappers traders prospectors and missionaries All down the river are remains from when the Yukon thronged with human life Old gold mining paraphernalia the remains of roadhouses cabins and telegraph posts as well as the old wood camps that were vital 73

Page 74

Adventure She March 2019 for supplying the fuel for the many paddle steamers that were used to navigate the river One of the most impressive sites we came across was the remains of the steamer Evelyn which still rests on so called Shipyard Island where it was dragged on to dry land for maintenance many years ago The sheer size of these vessels was astounding with so many prizes to be found Of course long before the gold rush the First Nation As well as old buildings plenty of artefacts could be found and many of the huts still housed things like pots and pans whiskey bottles and the odd letter It was like a treasure hunt every time we stopped off 74 people had made The Yukon their home and they would often come to fish and trade

Page 75

Adventure She March 2019 with the companies Again there was plenty to see of their history What really stayed in my mind was the poignancy of the Indian cemeteries and small wooden spirit houses many of which were the only surviving artefacts of the First Nation people amongst the invasive footprint of the Gold Rush era You could see the remains of the old fish camps and some of the drying racks still stood from where the salmon would be hung out to dry I m a massive animal lover and so the prospect of the wildlife we might encounter was a huge draw for me Unfortunately as a group of 10 I think even when we attempted to be quiet we probably still scared off half the animals That said we were still very well rewarded we saw moose grizzly and black bears golden and bald eagles ospreys hawks owls otters caribou mountain sheep foxes and to my 75 amazement a lynx We also heard beaver but never managed to spot one Due to the river freezing in Autumn through to late spring husky sleds also have a lot of use in the Yukon and so we also came across some huge husky camps with very well looked after and soppy dogs who were always up for a fuss If you ve read this far will probably have the impression that I loved this place with all of

Page 76

Adventure She March 2019 its stunning landscapes and sense of isolation along with the history and culture and the unique wildlife It was absolutely beautiful and thinking back I have so many incredible memories But what did I learn Did the trip stay true to its aim of teaching us how to plan and execute an expedition Absolutely Yes there were ten of us and we no didn t always work well as a team We didn t always get on and of course some of us had our down days where we weren t as quick to light the fire or help with dinner as we should have been However taking the rough with the smooth is all part of an expedition like this Equipment breaks clothing gets wet hands get blistered and tempers can fray I learned that actually I am a really great team player and that my previous military experience with the Army Reserves really helped me in terms of prioritising what should be done and how we should run camp Obviously there are times when after 10 hours of paddling on 76 the river you just wanted to set up your tent and have a nap but sorting out group kit must come first along with getting everyone fed and filtering the next jerry can of drinking water I realised that my irritating habit of over researching everything meant that my route card was spot on and we were able to plan each day effectively and make the most of all our stops to take in the history Most importantly I learned that I want to go out and undertake more of these kind of adventures I now feel completely confident in doing so

Page 77

Page 78

Adventure She March 2019 because the Yukon trip gave me experience in planning the logistics of an expedition as well as important things such as what safety considerations I need to take and how to plan a route Before this I would have thought that I needed to pay for the services of a guide and that the planning would be beyond my capabilities Due to work and family commitments my next trip may not be for such a long period of time and it will probably be a lot closer to home but there definitely will be another trip I d 78 also like to think that perhaps I can take along someone who was in the same position as me before Laura gave me this opportunity so that they too can learn how to take themselves off on incredible adventures This is certainly the first of many for me

Page 79

Page 80

Page 81

Adventure She March 2019 veritable veterinarians dream The Iditarod is the stuff of legends The legendary mushers who saved so many lies in 1925 is just a part of the history of this long distance trail navigable n Alaska s winterby the most hardy of people The Iditarod is a 1000 miles race held every March with a fascinating history In 1925 an epidemic of the life threatening respiratory disease diphtheria hit the tiny town of Nome located near the Arctic Circle The nearest medical supplies were roughly 1000 miles away The Iditarod race is of course a legend in itself A race that has enrapped out editor s imagination ever since she fist heard of it as a child Sea ice made boat transport impossible open cockpit planes could not fly in the subzero temperatures and the nearest train station was nearly 700 miles away so sled dog transport was the only hope of speedy delivery So when Carolline Murray offered to write an article on the Iditarod our editor couldn t believe her luck We hope you enjoy reading about Caroline s experience as much as we have Sled dog teams totalling 150 dogs and 20 mushers were recruited in a round the clock relay to transport the life saving serum wrapped in fur through rugged wilderness barren tundra dangerous sea ice and blizzards to Nome enduring temperatures down to minus 60C The serum was delivered in an incredible five and a half days and 3 weeks later the diphtheria epidemic in Nome abated thus saving many human lives Some of the mushers suffered severe hypothermia and frost bite along the way The race is a testament to the bravery and resilience of the mushers and dogs It takes 9 12 days to complete depending on weather conditions The winner receives a brand new pickup truck a valuable commodity in Alaska and approximately 50 000 US in prize money plus huge prestige in the dog mushing world Ever since reading two fantastic books Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer and Winterdance The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod by Gary Paulsen I yearned to explore the Alaskan wilderness As luck would have it fate was on my side when a few years later thanks firstly to meeting some Danish vets during a neutering project in Thailand one of whom was obsessed with sled dog racing and secondly to meeting a New Zealand cyclist whose best friend just happened to live in Alaska an opportunity arose to be a volunteer vet in the Iditarod sled dog race a The route runs from Anchorage to Nome through several tiny remote villages alternating every other year to give different villages a chance to benefit economically from the 81

Page 82

Adventure She March 2019 publicity were out for a picnic Due to the season terrain and snow conditions the dog route is only accessible via dogs snow mobile or small plane A team of international vets scattered along the course are flown in leap frog fashion between the 24 checkpoints in Cessna planes the pilots are hugely experienced in flying in snow freezing cold and white outs although crashes sometimes occur due to freak conditions The Alaskan Airline flight from San Francisco to Anchorage was a good introduction to the nonchalant fearlessness of the locals during turbulence that would terrorise most airline staff and send them scuttling to buckle up they gaily sashayed down the alleyway delivering refreshments as if they I participated twice as a volunteer vet in the Iditarod and rose to ignominious fame in the Iditarod community thanks to the catastrophe that occurred on my first visit On arrival in Anchorage we the vets attended lectures about the fascinating physiology of racing sled dogs Next up was health checks for all of dogs before the race These animals are truly magnificent to behold raring to go they are perfectly adapted to both cold and terrain and can digest a bewildering variety of food varying from beef to frozen seal necessary for the huge energy needs of racing 82

Page 83

Adventure She March 2019 There are up to 50 mushers each year who must have participated in other long distance races to show they are capable of looking after their dogs and themselves when seriously tired and in extreme conditions Happily I made it to the log cabin unharmed and awaited the arrival of the mushers That first time I volunteered back in 2008 the only way to track the mushers was through aerial spotting so we had no way of knowing when they were coming In fact they arrived throughout the day and night Over the years some rules have changed But they have always prioritise safety gear for both dogs and humans In my time dogs teams consisted of 16 dogs and to complete the race at least 8 of the dogs must finish Now teams are between 12 and 14 at the start with at least 5 dogs having to finish Any injured dogs are dropped off at vet attended checkpoints and flown home for ongoing treatment Injuries are usually minor as the dogs are highly trained athletes and typically include harness rubs or muscle strains Both dogs and mushers rested and feed at each checkpoint for a period of minutes to hours depending on the stage of the race Initially mushers are in quite high spirits but as time lack of sleep and battles against the weather take their toll the mushers can become very grumpy Towards the end of the race mushers often start hallucinating which can be very startling to the rookie competitors One of the less experienced The race starts in the main street of Anchorage attended by most of the city population and is a cacophonous chaos of cheering barking and total madness I was whisked off into a plane to my first checkpoint a tiny settlement called Skwentna The scenery was breathtaking spectacular snowy mountains and meandering frozen rivers as far as the eye could see I was dropped off in a snow field and told to walk a few hundred metres through a forest track to a log cabin Heartened by the fact the race is run in March when grizzly bears are still hibernating I was nevertheless fearful of a random moose straying across my path and causing some mayhem The many moose warning signs in Anchorage stating that 1000 pounds of moose can trample a person to death within a few seconds did nothing to dispel the fear 83

Page 84

Adventure She March 2019 mushers ironically an emergency doctor by trade suffered alarming frost bite to his corneas when he got caught out in a blizzard and had to be evacuated to hospital by helicopter My second checkpoint was Ophir a collection of log cabins which contained small high bunk beds with no side rails On the night of my arrival I rolled over in my sleep Still inside my sleeping bag I plummeted onto the hard floor waking up to hear a loud crack and unspeakable pain in my left wrist My screams instant woke the other team members They sprang to my aid bandaging up my arm that was clearly badly broken A trip to the local bush hospital was required I was lucky the accident happened around dawn as it s too dangerous to fly at night and the only way to the hospital was by plane A Cessna was scrambled Still in my pyjamas and sleeping bag with my hastily packed rucksack I was bundled onto a sled behind a skidoo dragged to the airstrip and packed into the plane along with a few supplies An hour later loaded with pethidine painfully injected into my behind I felt so euphoric that I couldn t feel any pain Alas the euphoria was not to last I needed emergency orthopaedic surgery which meant scrambling another plane to take me to the main hospital in Anchorage This time I was seated in the front along with a dozen sled dogs tucked into various corners of the plane Amongst these were a couple of females in heat that were protectively popped into sacks with their head and neck poking out and slid under my seat the journey was rather traumatic as the other male dogs tried to break through the flimsy netting barrier and through me to get to the females which luckily didn t happen At the hospital after waiting several hours to be seen during which time my hand swelled up to twice its size and I worryingly lost all sensation in my fingers I underwent a complex operation to plate my badly broken wrist The 20 hours in hospital turned out to cost my travel insurance a whopping 20 000 New Zealand 84 Drinking alcohol is forbidden on the race as many of the remote villages have severe alcoholism problems and drunken snow plough drivers have been known to injure participants But at the end of the race in Nome the finish party is legendary So a few days after my operation still in severe pain but determined to attend this legendary Iditarod race finish party I flew up to Nome to celebrate with the mushers Nome is like something out of the Wild West some of the bars still have saloon doors and although smoking inside is apparently illegal you cannot at least in 2008 see a thing due to the large volume of smoke billowing around the highly inebriated revellers The party went on for about 24 hours until the mushers collapsed from utter exhaustion I then flew home to recuperate and plan my Iditarod return the next year My second visit to the Iditarod was less traumatic physically but it was a mental rollercoaster The weather conditions were brutal minus 50C and 50 mile per hour winds raged around

Page 85

Page 86

Adventure She March 2019 the long suffering mushers and dogs My stethoscope froze solid and my hands developed severe chilblains At one checkpoint called Rohn I awoke in the night to find a snow mobile defrosting next to me and the paraffin heater It had fallen into an icy river in the darkness and during the tumble one of the riders had badly torn her ankle ligaments Instead of going to hospital she just wrapped it up in duct tape and battled on the Alaskans are tough We see hear and read so much about life in the USA we think we know it But this duct tape story was just one example of how different life is there to back home Guns are a way of life in the USA especially in rural communities and it was not unusual to encounter a teenager with a semi automatic rifle and several ammunition rounds slung across his shoulder strolling down the track One of the National Guards 86 was a competitor in my second year In the middle of the race there was much excitement as a Black Hawk helicopter landed next to us and his military buddies in full regalia nonchalantly strolled out into the desolate wilderness to cheer him on I can t imagine that happening back home in the UK The very remote environment of the race meant the food we had with us was basic But hunters often visited the checkpoints accompanied by delicious local game a very

Page 87

Page 88

Adventure She March 2019 welcome interlude to the frozen packaged food we had These offerings included hearty musk ox stew smoked salmon jerky and in one far north village where subsistence hunting still occurs a lump of pickled whale blubber This time each sled had a GPS tracker so musher progress could be followed en route which was fortuitous as one of the mushers got stuck in a particularly vicious blizzard and required rescuing along with his dog team and sled The weather was so appalling that even the experienced pilots were fearful of flying Still one of them an ex air force pilot who used to do air to air refuelling flew out to collect the dogs they are leashed to a line that goes around the inside edge of the plane During the return trip he heard a terrible howling noise The procedure to stop dog fights is to suddenly drop the plane a few hundred feet to distract the dogs this didn t work so he landed on a small frozen lake and called for a vet to help him I was on the nearest plane which got diverted to assist After running out to check the dogs the pilots informed us that we had to take off immediately otherwise the plane engines would freeze and we would be stuck in the middle of nowhere overnight not an appealing prospect I was not popular with the pilots as I get horrendous motion sickness and due to the violent weather I was frequently sick on the planes Due to my reputation they named me The Puker Each time we got in a plane the pilot would tell us where the emergency equipment was in case of a crash followed by a nervous laugh from me and comments that surely we wouldn t need this as they would be around to haul us off the snowy mountain if there was an accident they would usually chuckle and nod not always reassuringly While our pilot was trying to take off from the ice lashing winds pushed the plane downwards As the pilot s knuckles turned white whilst pushing the throttle and the plane still didn t seem to be rising I nervously asked if everything was ok He replied merrily that everything was fine The next minute a gust of howling wind whisked the plane off the ground and there 88 followed a wild roller coaster bucking bronco type ride back to the base resulting in wildly projectile vomiting and abject fear Later that evening I heard the pilot telling his compatriots he thought we were going to die After the previous year of broken bones this was not what I wanted to hear A few days later a helicopter carrying film crew crashed into the side of a mountain Luckily everyone survived with only minor injuries Happily I survived the race unscathed this time despite a random volcano eruption in Skwenta that scattered ash and lava over the pristine snow and again experienced the wild hedonism of the end of race Nome celebrations On the flight from Nome to Anchorage Alaskan Airlines handed out whisky to the passengers a fitting farewell representation of the Alaskan way of living life to the full and ignoring rules and regulations One day I will return to this incredible place for more adventurous veterinary shenanigans

Page 89

Adventure She March 2019 Volu n t eer in g at t h e Idit ar od If you would like to volunteer as a vet at the race then why not apply The race website https iditarod com states that Requirements for participation include a minimum of five years of practice experience in small animal medicine and surgery fluency in English and sufficient health to withstand working in arctic conditions Previous experience with the sled dog athlete is highly desirable If you would like to apply for a position on our staff please contact Joanne Potts jpotts iditarod com for more information The race website continues There is also a long list of clothing requirements for extreme cold conditions that can be difficult to purchase in your home country so it is useful to have an Alaskan contact or someone experienced in polar expeditions as normal cold weather clothing is insufficient for the extreme Alaskan winter cold Abou t Car olin e M u r r ay Caroline Murray is a veterinarian who works between England and New Zealand with frequent yearly travels to remote areas and dabbles in all kinds of species of animals Her Facebook page can be found on https www facebook com The Wilderness Vet 1808523212711656 and career details on Linked In https www linkedin com in caroline murray the wilderness vet 86b89a3a 89

Page 90

Page 91

Adventure She March 2019 The good thing about Lombok is Lombok The worst thing about it is the people Not exactly what you want to hear from your local taxi driver on arrival Well how wrong was he I have never felt more welcomed by complete strangers On my first day enjoying the tranquility of a beach devoid of other tourists I noticed ominous dark clouds gathering Within minutes the entire beach had been engulfed in black clouds and torrential rain The nearby wooden shacks tied together with string hardly provided any form of cover and I quickly learnt how absorbent my beach sarong was I had no idea what to do Where could I shelter so I could come through this epic storm Then through the misty air I noticed the silhouette of a woman waving at me I ran towards the woman who pointed towards a dark wooden shack further up the beach Inside the shack a dozen older and younger women huddled on bamboo beds looking as if they didn t have a care in the world By a complete contrast I looked as if I had just been flushed down the toilet 91

Page 92

Adventure She March 2019 Clare Johnson is a teacher at a Speech and Drama at a language school in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia Fearing a welcome to your 30s crisis she chose to distract herself with a birthday trip to Lombok One woman wrapped a thick towel around me and gestured to sit down on the bamboo bed and as I sat the women waved and smiled at me We huddled together and listened to the raindrops hammering the rooftops of the huts and every now and then we inched closer together as the wind blew droplets in our faces As I wrapped myself tightly in my towel I realized that none of them had anything to keep them warm so I offered to give it back they wouldn t have any of it I looked at my towel and saw that it had a giant picture of Winnie the Pooh on it I ve never been so happy to see that bear The minimalistic setting of the huts with only bamboo mats cooking pots and towels piled into the corner revealed that they did not have many materialistic things in their lives but their mobile phones allowed them to access a world they craved and cherish the people in their lives Altogether the storm lasted for nearly 2 hours and someone from the guesthouse eventually picked me up after we arranged a time He was quite relieved to see that I had survived the storm I will forever be thankful to those kind hearted women and of course Winnie the Pooh Despite my speaking no Indonesian thanks to the one woman who spoke a tiny amount of English and gestures we had no difficulty understanding each other A few days later Stephanie the owner of the guesthouse casually mentioned the Nyepi festival Would you like to come she asked I had no idea what it was about and had never heard of it one of the guesthouse staff told me it is a Hindu festival celebrated every year for just one day Sure why not They shared with me photos on their phones of children hometowns and local Indonesian celebrities that they aspired to be one day I showed them photos of my family and places in the UK but trying my best to make sure that the battery wouldn t get too drenched from the water droplets coming from the ceiling We travelled by mopeds to Lombok s capital Mataram where I noticed it was getting 92

Page 93

Adventure She March 2019 significantly busier and people had parked cars where they could on pavements in front of fire exits in the middle of the road everywhere you name it they just walk regimentally through the town they compete to find whose creation is the scariest and most riveting for the audience They twist shake dive and lunge their creatures to fascinate and terrify the thousands of people who gather to watch and to be awed We walked through the bustling crowds to watch a parade that celebrated the Day of Silence Roads were blocked crowds were controlled security everywhere and children were entertained with copious amounts of sugary sweets and animal balloons sold by market sellers I couldn t wait to see and as Stephanie finished explaining we saw the blue flashing police lights making their way through the parade and in the distance I could see huge claws horns and fangs advancing towards us I was still unsure what to expect but could sense the anticipation and excitement amongst the crowd so I asked Stephanie what actually happens The cascading line of vibrant demons and creatures had a rippling effect on the crowd who cheered and screeched as they watched Locals start preparation months before the festival by making huge homemade Ogoh Ogoh creatures from the Hindu underworld and parade them through the streets It s not a simple parade where The most demonic and unsettling creation was leading the parade and the 15 or so men carrying this OgohOgoh nightmare gleamed with pride and excitement This creature was accompanied with a 93

Page 94

Adventure She March 2019 dark fiendish voiceover to signal the start of the festivities One after the other men and children of all ages carried gigantic models with enjoyment and aggression Back and forth the demons they controlled would lurch over the crowds as the carriers thrust their masterpieces towards our faces many heads ducked in fear of being clawed Some were so big that they were carried by over 20 men and were over 25ft high with strict security making sure that the crowds were not bulldozed over by a gigantic scary looking beast Each creation was unique in its own way with multiple limbs and wings overshadowing the crowd young children sitting on their fathers shoulders would try to reach as high as they could to touch them You would think that the young would be absolutely petrified by these nightmarish beasts but it was quite the opposite they were entranced I loved the animalistic expressions of these creatures with their popping eyes combined with carnivorous teeth and flared nostrils The juxtaposition of fluorescent colours and movement animated these creatures even more and nobody could take their eyes off them It was as if the underworld were descending on Earth to bring darkness and destruction However that perception was quickly broken when you saw the occasional Sponge Bob 94

Page 95

Adventure She March 2019 Squarepants balloon flying behind the head of a demon Oh what happens tonight Well the villages will parade their models again before they take them to the main fire and burn them Of course not all demonic uprisings go according to plan as the occasional creature discovered their nemesis being telephone cables The odd OgohOgoh creature s hand wing or head was abruptly sliced off by cables that hung across the roads One very unfortunate creature with ferocious features had its leg very swiftly broken thanks to one main cable The wave of ooohhh roared from the crowds as if they could sense the pain of this creature However not wanting to ruin the party the creature s creators just carried on but without shaking it too much to avoid further limbs being broken Wow just like that they burn these intricately detailed creatures as a grand finale to the celebrations We were invited to attend a local village s celebration that started at dusk As I watched I saw the locals sitting on the ground in rows facing the creature and saying their prayers Smoke from candles and essence sticks engulfed the creatures and created an atmosphere that made them seem more sinister and devilish As the prayers finished each model was launched into the air one last time to make its way to the final resting place Children were also involved in the celebrations and students paraded their own demonic creations under the supervision of adults they got a little too enthusiastic in thrusting their creatures at the crowds who were in danger of potentially losing an eye With hardly any streetlights the village and surrounding area was pitch black with the exception of lights from mobile phones and mopeds This devilish promenade performance had everyone following the creatures wherever they went as they were once again lunged twisted charged and span around In the flickering light the models now looked so much darker and more unsettling as the locals screamed and jeered violently shaking and jolting the demons The underworld had come alive again with such ferocity and belligerence before being immersed in the flames I have never seen anything so excitedly colourful and beautifully chaotic in all my life Over a hundred creatures marched through the streets of Mataram with cheers and pumping music and people gawked and danced as they watched I felt incredibly lucky to have stumbled on this festival and it was completely worth the risk of getting my head spiked on a demon s claw The crowds started to disperse and the creators with their demons retreated back to the villages months of work over just like that We surrounded the fire as it burnt away these magnificent models and just like that it really was over What followed afterwards would be a day of silence no talking or speaking for 24 hours That was brilliant Thanks Stephanie You re welcome Just wait until you see what happens tonight 95

Page 96

Page 97

Page 98

Adventure She March 2019 FROM THE ADVENTURE SHE TEAM RESPONSIBLE TOURISM v SATURATION How can we best help the locals Perhaps we should go there and spend our money using local guides and locally owned restaurants and accommodation And that s why we decided to include the festival for the people can only enjoy the festival if the people survive and clearly many people have suffered greatly Have you encountered a festival like this where it really is for the locals Have you come across a secret beauty spot Have you come across a lost tribe On 29th July 2018 an earthquake hit North Lombok with a magnitude of 6 9 causing devastating damage to thousands of homes businesses and holiday locations Since then there have been many aftershocks that have We really believe in empowering educating and entertaining our readers We also believe that sometimes too much tourism can hurt a place The question is how to get the balance right How does one help an area and its people economically without putting too much weight on local infrastructure or without taking over festivals caused further damage that will take months and years to repair Hundreds of lives were lost and thousands of people had been displaced and made homeless The Foreign and Commonwealth Office FCO advisory pages state the impact was most severely in northern and western areas of Lombok north of the capital Mataram It continues The Gili Islands Gili Trewangan Gili Meno and Gili Air were also significantly affected by the earthquakes However they have recovered rapidly with utilities and transport connections restored NATURAL DISASTERS AND INDONESIA We actually thought about not including this article for fear of adding to the number of tourists at the Nyepi festival which is clearly so special to the locals Then we thought about the earthquake which hit North Lombok in July 2018 and all the aftershocks Whilst the FCO no longer advises against all but essential travel to these areas it does suggest that travelers to Central Sulawesi Lombok or the islands should exercise 98

Page 99

Adventure She March 2019 caution particularly around damaged buildings and the most affected areas worth reading the FCO s website and any similar website produced by your own country Daily and weekly news outlets are another source of potentially valuable information The FCO website also reminds us that a 7 4 magnitude earthquake and tsunami hit Central Sulawesi on 28 September 2018 affecting the Donggala Palu Mamuju Utara Sigi and Parigi Moutong regions and causing significant loss of life casualties and widespread damage It remains an area significantly affected by disaster but recovery is ongoing and basic infrastructure has been restored in most parts Of course as Clare Johnston found Indonesia can also be a lovely place After the earthquake in Lombok there was a need for help with food clean water clothes and medical supplies Clare Johnson has suggested the following charities as ones which can help should you like to make a donation to charities that help people in the area following natural disasters Plus on 22 December 2018 volcanic activity caused a tsunami that affected the coastline around the Sunda Strait which lies between Western Java and the South of Sumatra causing significant damage loss of life and casualties Alas there s more The Foreign FCO advises against all travel to within 4 kilometres of the Mount Agung crater in east Bali and within 7 kilometres of the Mount Sinabung crater in Kalo Regency North Sumatra It explains that these are exclusion zones put in place by the local authorities due to ongoing volcanic activity It continues if you re in either exclusion zone you should leave immediately Indonesian Red Cross donasi pmi or id Oxfam Australia oxfam org au donate World Vision International wahanavisi org In short Indonesia is a country that has seen many natural disasters whether from earthquakes tsunamis or volcanoes So as the FCO advises it s best to keep up to date with local news and local warnings Furthermore terrorism is also a risk Before planning a trip to Indonesia it is definitely PeduliAnak Foundation pedulianak org 99

Page 100

Page 101

Adventure She March 2019 Here at Adventure She magazine we believe in showcasing extraordinary women such as Bethany Hughes and Lauren Reed of Her Odyssey see our Machu Picchu story in this issue But we also think it s critical to share the stories from other adventurers too After all not everyone can take off several months or even years to go adventuring Liz Phillips is one such woman In case you re wondering Liz prefers to keep a low profile on social media so we ll neither share her social media handles nor reveal any more about her Th e Gr eat Sou t h West Wal k i s i n Gu n di t j m ar a Cou n t r y Th e au t h or ack n ow l edges t h e Gu n di t j m ar a Peopl e t h e t r adi t i on al cu st odi an s w h o h av e l i v ed t h er e f or t h ou san ds of y ear s an d w h o con t i n u e t o l ook af t er t h e l an d 101

Page 102

Adventure She March 2019 It s the morning of day three the spring air is still crisp Ribbons of sunlight stream through the tall eucalyptus trees gliding over my shoulders as I wind through the forest I can tell it s going to be another hot day eventually Right now the conditions are perfect Yes perhaps my legs and shoulders are already aching and we re not even an hour into what will be a seven hour day And yes perhaps it s also true that yesterday I was miserable wondering whose stupid idea it was to embark on this hike anyway Well whoops that would be me The misery passed though in the night While I m still wondering if there will be a moment on this trek when I realise I really am having fun there is something very beautiful about rising with the dawn chorus setting my pack on my back and stepping onto the dappled trail once more My walking reverie is suddenly interrupted by a movement just a few paces ahead I come to an abrupt standstill with a minor yelp and thrust my walking pole out to prevent my friend Peter from barrelling straight past me themselves scarce well before you come around the corner If you do encounter a snake the best thing to do is stay calm and give them plenty of space to move away The snake is quite large I estimate about 1 5 2 metres and a type I haven t seen before However the bands of brown and green yellow along its body are a good hint It s a tiger snake I ve heard plenty of alarming stories about how aggressive these guys can be The one just in front of me has Unless it turns out you are dealing with a stubborn sun baking tiger snake that has no intention of moving of course After half a minute of pointless stomping and hitting the ground with our poles we end up very carefully walking around it Tiger snake 1 Walkers 0 I r ea lly like sna kes a nd a ny sighting is a thr ill flattened out its head and neck cobra like and hunkered down on the trail with a belligerent air It appears we have a stand off Although it isn t strange to come across snakes on a hiking trail in Australia close encounters like this aren t as common as people might think Snakes are deaf but they listen to vibrations through the ground More often than not they have made 102 In truth I really like snakes and any sighting is a thrill This brief encounter sends me on with a smile on my face and spring in my step Then it happened I realise I am actually having fun In November 2018 my friend Peter and I tackled the Great South West Walk GSWW a 250 kilometre circuit that officially starts and ends in the industrial seaside town of Portland in south west Victoria Australia We chose to take 17 days altogether including 14 walking days and three rest days We organised and set our own

Page 103

Adventure She March 2019 I f you pay enough attention to the ca nopy you might see koa la s you cer ta inly hea r them in the night food drops two at camp sites and one in Nelson a small town about half way The trail is championed and maintained by the very well organised Friends of the Great South West Walk and they also regularly run day and multi day walks From the bit of research I ve done it seems a few tour groups are also starting to offer guided walks so it is possible to do the hike carrying only day packs While we were there the only other walkers we encountered were self sufficient like us In fact for many sections we were the only walkers period The GSWW touts itself as a Symphony in Four Movements which refers to four distinct environments you pass through when you walk the full circuit forest the Glenelg River gorge Discovery Bay plus the capes and bays Heading north out of Portland the trail follows roads and tracks through urban and rural settings until finally it plunges into cool green state and national forests If you pay enough attention to the canopy you might see koalas you certainly hear them in the night Emus are also common in the area although we saw their Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consetetur sadipscing elitr 103

Page 104

Adventure She March 2019 tracks far more than the birds themselves Echidnas are a fairly common sight as are kangaroo and wallaby And then of course there s the occasional snake In all we spent four days meandering our way through tall timbered woodlands until we reached the Glenelg River our first food drop and a well received rest day From there for a further three days the undulating trail follows this major river s winding course west and then south towards the ocean Sometimes we d emerge out of the bush to find the wide river practically lapping at our feet and a few surprised ducks paddling by At other times we d be perched 100 metres above the water taking in stunning views of the river s passage through the gorge The Glenelg River is a popular fishing area although no one we met was having any success The region is also rich with caves including the publicly open Margaret Rose Caves They weren t on our itinerary being on the wrong side of the river but we did crack a few jokes about asking the cave s kiosk to rig up a flying fox and send us over muffins and coffee The half way point of the GSWW is Nelson a small fishing town close to the Victorian South Australian border We arrived in the aftermath of a thunderstorm dripping tired and footsore Here we ditched the tents for two nights in a comfortable Airbnb with a well appointment kitchen and a washing machine Absolute bliss Peter and I met through a community choir 104

Page 105

Adventure She March 2019 Before we embarked on the journey to walk the GSWW we had never hiked together before And while I am an active hiker this was Peter s first foray in nearly twenty years It sounds like a classic recipe for disaster which made it all the more remarkable when we reached the half way point upright and still talking to each other I am a very independent woman I do lots of things on my own and value my ability to look after myself As a result I struggled with the fact that I needed Peter s help with what I felt were simple things like putting my pack on after a break or standing up after clambering under a fallen tree When I finally confessed my feelings of resentment Peter was surprised After all I helped him put his pack on plenty of times and he was happy to receive the help And if he had less problems getting past the obstacles in our path well that was because he s physically stronger than me Still the confession did us both good When I needed his help I could be more graceful about it When I didn t want his 105 help when I was determined to find a way to do it myself he knew not to take it the wrong way Peter had a certain machismo approach to our hike that I perhaps not surprisingly didn t share When I suggested to him that we could use food drops to save us weight and space in our packs he looked slightly scandalised Wasn t carrying all of our supplies part of the experience Surely positioning food drops was cheating No I assured him firmly it s smart He appreciated the wisdom of my words when he realised it meant

Page 106

Adventure She March 2019 we could stash bottles of red wine Similarly as we made our way to Nelson I was deeply pondering how sore my shoulders felt and how much tougher it would feel when we were walking on the beach I devised a cunning plan to find someone in Nelson willing to drop most of our gear off at the next campsite leaving Peter and I free to enjoy our first day on the beach with only what we needed for the day I knew that Peter wouldn t think the idea was very manly and he didn t so I give him full marks for helping me to make the plan a reality A common experience that we both enjoyed was feeling our bodies get stronger as the first few hard painful days made way to easier days Still tiring certainly but over time we walked further before stopping for a break plus our packs rested more comfortably on our backs and we managed to climb steep tracks without stopping I even negotiated more of those pesky fallen trees on my own of tough walking along the stark dramatic shoreline of Discovery Bay was easily my favourite part I loved the brooding grey sky and the occasional rainy squalls that suddenly blew in from the ocean and then just as quickly dissipated over the sand dunes Walking the first and longest day without a full pack was particularly delightful Even Peter couldn t disagree with that This part of Australia is truly wild The same strong ocean currents and winds that historically were used by ships to make the journey from Europe to Australia s east coast While the departure from our snug spot in Nelson might have been a little reluctant the next section of the GSWW two days 106

Page 107

Adventure She March 2019 could just as easily blow ships hopelessly off course and dash them against submerged rocks And indeed the entire southern Australian coastline is scattered with historical wreck sites and tales of lives lost Along this stretch I d often pull far ahead of Peter enjoying the feeling of raw remoteness Just me and a few sea birds drawn along by the rhythm of crashing waves The final movement in the GSWW symphony is the eastward walk along rocky cliff lines and crystal clear bays There are many popular tourist spots and day walks along this section so your sense of splendid isolation does tend to fade Especially when you discover you re sharing a campsite with a school group On the other hand there s always a pleasant camaraderie between fellow hikers stories to share aches and pains to commiserate over and camping gear to compare for the entirety of the last day The final day was long and hot and I was a grump for most of it But I think I always was going to be in a bad mood that day it was the end of an extraordinary and challenging two and a half weeks While I might have been looking forward to not having to pitch and unpitch and unpack If you do encounter a snake the best thing to do is stay calm and give them plenty of space to m ove aw ay and repack every day I knew I was going to miss the feeling of presence of being totally in the moment Of measuring distance with footsteps and time by the tilt of the sun shower and dammit I wanted a beer Then up ahead I saw an elderly man scampering across the road towards us Have you been on the Great South West Walk he asked Lo and behold we had just met Bill Bill was self deprecating about having part of the GSWW named after him although he revealed that he had played a huge part in getting the trail established back in the 1980s We gushed our admiration for the efforts of the Friends of the Great South West Walk for how well the tracks and campsites were maintained and how much we had enjoyed our time on the trail Tell people Bill said Because without people like you there s nothing for people like us to work for We assured him we would This last section is also where the return to civilisation is most apparent Wind turbines dominate the landscape and the approach to Portland is positively industrial with its aluminium smelter in full view On the last kilometres into Portland we walked along a stretch called Bill s Walk I felt too tired to care who Bill was I just wanted to reach the end I wanted to dump my pack on the floor decisively I wanted a long 107

Page 108

Adventure She March 2019 Abou t Li z Ph i l l i ps Liz Phillips lives in Canber r a Austr alia A keen hiker and adventur er she is for ever dr eam ing and schem ing up her next big tr ip In betw een her ow n tr avels Liz leads local outdoor activities and is enthusiastic about helping w om en to str etch them selves and to explor e the w or ld Liz s next m ajor hike w ill be on the Lar apinta Tr ail in centr al Austr alia We love r eading stor ies like Liz s stor ies about us or dinar y w om en going out ther e and doing stuff w hether for the or the w eekend or a holiday fr om w or k After all adventur e doesn t have to m ean taking a sabatical or quitting one s job So w e w er e intr igued how did Liz deal w ith life on the tr ail She ver y kindly answ er ed our questions Q A with Liz Phillips 108

Page 109

Adventure She March 2019 B listers Did you get any If so how big were they how did they impact you and how did you deal with them In the first few days particularly we both had our share of injuries Amongst mine were small blisters on both feet in the spots that I usually get them from running This dismayed me because I d managed to avoid them on previous multi day hikes without any big differences in what I was wearing and how much I was carrying On the other hand this was the first long distance walking I d done for a while and the first day out of Portland included asphalt The surfaces you walk on and therefore how your feet are hitting the ground can make a big difference Fortunately I came ready with a small mountain of blister pads in my first aid kit and I was very conscientious about tending to my feet every morning before we set off In the end apart from causing me to hobble around like an old lady first thing every morning the blisters didn t cause any problems during the walk After about four or five days the blisters were receding and my feet had toughened up to the conditions What footwear did you two use Did you double up socks or use single socks Running shoes are my preferred footwear when the terrain doesn t call for major ankle support so that s what I opted for on the GSWW Good running shoes provide firm foot support but are also lightweight and breathable On shorter hikes wearing one pair of good quality runners socks has suited me fine but for the much longer GSWW I found layering two pairs was more comfortable providing a little extra stability and preserving my lower legs from the hideous scourge of grass seeds Those evil little things stick to you like glue and work their way down the insides of your shoes Ouch My main footwear tip is bring camp shoes whatever lightweight and easy to put on shoes or sandals you have to hand After a long day s hike your feet need to be freed from bondage Packs how many litres were they Did everything fit inside 109 Peter s pack was an 85 litre Osprey Huge Cavernous There appeared to be no end to what he could keep in it The only thing he kept on the outside was his jacket I don t know how heavy it was fully packed very according to Peter but I remember picking it up when it was empty and thinking it already felt quite heavy I on the other hand took my 55 litre Hyperlight 3400 Windrider This is a lean mean packing machine designed for the ultralight market Unlike the well padded Osprey with its many compartments and pockets the Windrider is sparse but deliberately so With less volume for my gear on the inside I had to make full use of my pack s generous mesh outside pockets and also with strapping on some gear that didn t fit anywhere else For the most part this setup worked fine for me and has been perfect on shorter hikes too But at around 15 16 kilos on this trip I suffered from the lack of padding in the shoulder straps The main point here is that an ultralight pack is really only going to work if you can keep your overall weight down And I mean way down Realistically I m not quite there

Page 110

Adventure She March 2019 yet with my gear selection and on a long hike like the GSWW all of those hours and kilometres don t help It also didn t help that I decided to take my big camera with me and an extra lens It was a useful although painful lesson Food what did you take and what did you eat breakfast snacks lunch dinner Peter and I both enjoy good food so we decided to try our hand at dehydrating and vacuum sealing home cooked meals The outcomes were outstanding significantly tastier than any shop bought camp food I ve tried and preservative free It also meant we could choose what we wanted to have with the main dish a pack of freeze dried vegetables or some instant mash potato for example We enjoyed my famous rich bolognaise and Peter cooked up a fabulous aromatic lamb dish and a hearty vegetable curry amongst other treats It really made the difference at the end of a hard tiring day to know we had a delicious filling meal ahead of us All it took was water and heating to prepare On the first day out of Portland and again out of Nelson we also opted to carry some fresh food sausages and veges for that night s meal It was a worthwhile trade off between some extra weight and bulk and tasty fresh food The rest of our meals breakfasts and snacks we organised separately While Peter munched on muesli most mornings I tucked into a home made granola of nuts and seeds My on the move snacks consisted of mixed nuts wasabi peas and chocolate coated goji berries Peter brought along an entire slab of cheddar some delicious salami and a tin of crackers Very tasty but it added to the weight in his pack We also had cup soup packs tea and coffee and I kept myself in a constant supply of good quality dark 110

Page 111

Adventure She March 2019 insects and wildlife out the camouflage was to keep those other pests humans from finding them chocolate Because you had the drops how did this change the food you took apart from wine Unlike other more well known walks such as the Larapinta Trail which are well serviced by several companies currently there are no companies that specifically organise food drops for GSWW hikers That makes it difficult if you don t have your own transport We did however and a lot of the GSWW is accessible by road What did you do with the empty wine bottles or was it cask wine Can you please share the logistics of organising food drops I want to do the Larapinta one day and will probably need food drops for that so am very interested in learning what I can about organising food drops The day before we started the walk we drove to our two rest day camps and found a good hidey hole in the bush to stash a box The third box we left with an obliging person in Nelson If you re walking independently for any length of time it is much easier if you can organise food drops We used 35 litre plastic boxes with lids which we taped up thoroughly and camouflaged inside garbage bags The tape was to keep Our three food drops helped us to have good quality food and lots of it without needing to Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consetetur sadipscing elitr 111

Page 112

Page 113

Adventure She March 2019 carry it all We timed our food drops with our rest days so we could also store bulky heavy or fragile foods like a carton of eggs For breakfast on our first rest day I cooked up some delicious scrambled eggs and boiled the rest of the eggs for snacks and dinner An entire jar of pesto tossed through noodles and sprinkled with fresh parmesan wrapped in cheese cloth to keep fresh was another easy and delicious meal To top it all off we could even store a bottle of red wine Apart from expanding your food options on rest days food drops also mean you only need to carry 3 4 days worth of food at a time rather than an entire 17 days worth Despite the name food drops can obviously store other items We had spare stove fuel more toilet paper and I packed a fresh pair of undies to wear while I washed the others It also means you have a place to store your rubbish like empty wine bottles and any items you decide you don t need to collect after the walk Water how much did you carry How often did you find water sources Any shortages Is water guaranteed on that track Did you have to treat it What were the shelters and loos if any like The trail is fitted out with 14 generally excellent campsites each with a spacious shelter a full water tank and a surprisingly pleasant drop toilet The trail and the camps are all regularly maintained by the Friends of the GSWW so we soon learned to be confident that the tanks would have water and even the toilets would be stocked with toilet paper most of the time The shelters are not designed for sleeping in although you can and on one very rainy night I did but all of the sites have plenty of good ground for tents There was something very comforting about reaching camp and seeing these familiar features For hikers who may not be quite ready to really rough it but still like a challenge walks like the GSWW are a good option The water tanks meant we had plenty of water for the trail and in camp Although I had brought along a water filter Peter and I soon felt comfortable with drinking the tank water unfiltered and with no ill effects During we day we each carried about three litres which we invariably got through on the hot days Did you have a stove each A tent each Because we were sharing dinners and had gone to the trouble of drying home cooked food we decided to take a Trangia a classic Scandinavian camping stove which can cook a big volume of food and runs cheaply on methylated spirits They are certainly heavier and bulkier than other stoves but when you re sharing with someone else and want to be able to do more than simply heat instant food they re worth it Sure Trangia s take quite a bit longer to boil water but this soon became part of our daily routine In the morning put the kettle on take the tent down have a cuppa and breakfast in the afternoon put the kettle on put the tent up have some soup and start to rehydrate dinner I was surprised how many of these stoves we saw on the trail A couple of hikers who caught up with us during a rest day had one and several students in the school groups did also When so many companies and hikers are focussing on going smaller and lighter it s a testament to how good a product Trangia is that it s continues to be so popular 113

Page 114

Adventure She March 2019 What type of tent did you have Do you wish you had bigger smaller lighter heavier but more durable Peter and I had our own tents I use and love my Big Agnes Copper Spur tent It is light very breathable fast and easy to put up and can pitch without pegs if necessary It salso a 2 person tent just for me which means I can bring all of my gear inside if I want to and still have plenty of space to stretch out After every hike I reassess my gear and decide what to adjust So far I ve never thought I could do better than that tent How far did you hike each day The daily walking distances varied the shortest day was only 12 kilometres the longest was over 23 On average we walked about 18 kilometres a day What was your daily routine Each day our alarm clock was the dawn chorus We d put the kettle on and then start the packing process pausing for breakfast and the all important cup of coffee It didn t feel like a rush but we soon had a good routine each of us doing our 114 own thing in our own way and in our own time but still ending up ready to hit the trail around the same time I was the map keeper and by the time we were about half way through the walk Peter was ready to concede that I was even capable of reading it rather well

Page 115

Page 116

Page 117

Adventure She March 2019 BrousseLife Taxi Brousse noun Anoisyand crowdedvehiclethat operatesonitsownscheduleto takeyoufromPoint AtoPoint BinMadagascar When Jade Toft approached us with a pitch on Madagascar we couldn t believe our luck The Adventure She team has travelled far and wide but no one has been to Madagascar or even knows someone who s been there We love learning about life in different places so over to you Jade and thank you so much for getting in touch When you re waiting at the Brousse station or on the side of the road you never know what you re going to get You might end up sitting on someone s lap You might have a driver who plays the same song on repeat at maximum volume You might have a bundle of chickens underneath your feet No journey in a brousse is ever the same The only thingsthat are for certain are that you will inevitably be squeezed into a row meant for four people with at least five others someone somewhere will get carsick fingers crossed it s not you and you will most likely not make it to your destination on time If you calculated all of the time I spent in a brousse over the course of my two years in Madagascar the number would probably be close to a month and they are NOT the most comfortable rides in the world I spent one night squeezed in the back row of a broussewith one man sleeping across my lap and another man sleeping across my back leaving me to sleep at an uncomfortable forward slant I spent several nights cuddling up with the people next to me for warmth 117

Page 118

Adventure She March 2019 trying to ignore the persistent dripping of rain on my forehead and readjusting myself in a seat that was either broken or nonexistent The women on my brousses became my guardians for the trip They always had an extra plastic bag to lend me if I was feeling sick they told me what to eat and what not to eat when we stopped for food and they led me off the main road to a more secluded and hidden area to pee when we stopped for bathroom breaks These women didn t know me but they took me in and protected me over and kick it back on I once awoke in the middle of the night to a brousse filling up with smoke and the woman next to me frantically yelling at me to jump out the very tiny window when the engine caught fire Instead of fixing it we actually ROLLED the rest of the way to our destination which added ten hours to our trip It s always an adventure Even if the brousseis in relatively good shape most of the roads are not The road from my region to another was notoriously known for being one of the worst roads in the country and it was virtually impassible during the rainy season My friend and I attempted to go on vacation once using this road and our broussemoved so slowly that we could have probably walked faster When we reached a literal lake in the road the driver told us he couldn t go any further There were passengers It s incredibly likely that at some point your brousse will break down It s a gamble on whether or not it will be a quick fix or something that will take hours or possibly even days The gas tank will mysteriously be on empty during the entire journey the front wheel may consistently fall off causing you to need to pull 118

Page 119

Adventure She March 2019 stuck in this small town for days waiting for the sun to come out and dry up the water My friend and I decided to trudge on and actually put our backpacks on our heads and waded across waist deep water to the other side of the road where we eventually found another brousseready to take us the rest of the way We passed by several broussesstuck in the mud desperately trying to dig their way out Our 160 kilometer 99 mile journey took two days When my mom and brother came to visit after a year of me living there I had actually become so used to traveling this way that I didn t realize when things were weird My family was shocked when our driver pumped up our extremely flat tire with a bicycle pump threw a random baby on my lap and somehow started the vehicle without a key It didn t occur to me that these things were unusual In fact I experienced more culture shock my first time in a car after I arrived back in the United States when I begged my mom to slow down on the smoothly 119

Page 120

Page 121

Adventure She March 2019 paved highway Somehow I became more comfortable in a brousse than in my mom s Nissan Altima Although I spent countless hours riding in brousses I don t think that it was ever a waste of time Broussing taught me so many life lessons that I may have never learned otherwise These rides taught me to accept the help of others to be patient when things don t go according to plan and most of all that it is always more productive to face difficult situations with humor rather than anger In a lot of ways a journey in a brousse is like our journey through life They are both full of adventures and struggles and we never know exactly what to expect We can do our best to plan for them but at the end of the day we never can predict what is waiting for us around the corner ante Abou t Jade Tof t Jade Toft served with the Peace Corps in Madagascar from 2015 until 2017 and is currently a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Malta She received her Master s degree in Special Education from George Mason University in Fairfax Virginia in 2017 and has recently started a collaborative teaching blog called The Pursuit of Scrappyness focused on teaching with limited resources To access her teaching blog go to s https ifitmakesyouscrappy wordpress com 121

Page 122

Page 123

Adventure She March 2019 I MANNABEL NORMANAGE 13 WHENI WAS 10 MYFAMILY ANDI HAD DECIDEDTO TRAVELTHE WORLD THEN IN2017WHENI WAS11WE WENTTO EVERESTBASE CAMP THISIS MYSTORY ThePlan We decided to do the trek without a guide as my parents had trekked here before and had experience of being at altitude We also decided to walk rather than fly into the Everest region which is what most people do as we wanted to trek the route taken by climbers before the mountain airstrip was built at Lukla The trek to Everest Base Camp would take about 13 14 days depending on our health the weather and conditions on the trail and then about another 10 days to return to Salleri safer as we would stick to the main mountain road It was going to be a big walk especially carrying all of our own kit including sleeping bags cold weather clothing wet weather clothing etc It got darker and darker We hadn t expected to have to walk that night so our torches were right at the bottom of our big bags All we had was the light of one mobile phone between us We were in the middle of nowhere and it was pitch dark by now We walked for hours with no sign of life apart from some faint lights in the distance I started to think we would never get to Salleri and we d be stuck in the forest forever When I saw a fallen tree across the road in front of us with no clear way of getting around it I began to cry as I thought we d have to go all the way back We had to brake off a lot of branches before we could climb through It was quite hard and we got a bit scratched but it was really the only way to go Gettingthere Before we could trek first we had to get to Salleri So we climbed on a crowded jeep in Kathmandu and got ready for a 12 hour jeep ride It was never going to be the height of comfort especially as the roads were dusty and bumpy Only when the jeep came to a stop it wasn t in Salleri The rest of the road was closed so we needed to walk the rest of the way which should have only taken 20 minutes or so We joined up with a Nepali guy who said he knew the way First though we stopped off for noodles in a nearby tea house It was getting dark by this time The man told us the most direct way to Salleri was dangerous because of bears so we would take a longer route but be a lot 123 Lights appeared in the distance and after about another 20 minutes we found ourselves in a small village where lots of jeeps waited Before we knew what was happening we were surrounded by a group of drivers all trying to get us to go with them It was all a bit scary but finally we got into one of the jeeps and began the drive

Page 124

Adventure She March 2019 to Salleri 16 to 17 hours after leaving Kathmandu including a surprise four hours of walking we made into the village of Salleri TheTrek Salleri toLukla As we started out on our first day of trekking we walked through mountain villages and passed donkey herders and their many donkeys carrying supplies up and down the trail At first it was exciting to see the donkeys but very soon it became annoying hearing the distant sound of bells approaching as we would have to wait at the side of the trail for long periods of time to let maybe 30 50 donkeys pass us by Even when the donkeys had passed we were faced with all of the mud poo and wee that they had left behind them which made the trail very slippery and mucky As we trekked those first few days we would climb up steep mountain passes only to reach the top and have to go all the way down again into the valleys which I admit I found a bit frustrating We trekked through thick forested mountain sides and along river banks without seeing any other trekkers but we did see Gray langur monkeys in the trees and on the trail I d hoped to see a couple of yeti s on the mountain tops but they must have been hiding Each day pretty much was made up of the same routine We d get up have breakfast pack our bags leave the lodge to walk maybe stopping for a light lunch in a lodge on the trail walking all afternoon to reach a village where we would take a look at the available lodges and find the most suitable one for a our night s stay Once we settled into the lodge we would have dinner and go to bed early to wake early and get back on the trail LuklatoBaseCamp After six days we joined the main Everest trail that links Lukla to Everest Base Camp We were very surprised how many trekkers there were as up 124

Page 125

Adventure She March 2019 till then we had probably seen about three people walking but now the trail was pretty busy Of course most trekkers fly into the Lukla airstrip to start their treks One of my favourite days was the walk from Jorsalle to Namche Bazaar As we trekked I saw a very high and long suspension bridge we were going to cross It looked daunting with the river running fiercely way below but kind of exciting too The bridge was not wide so you had to go single file I found it very exciting how every time a gust of wind blew the bridge it would sway like a piece of playground equipment but much larger I knew the climb up to Namche Bazaar would be steep and hard However I also knew that this would be the biggest town on the trek and it would be a nice place to stay for a while Namche Bazaar is the main Sherpa town of the Everest region and is crammed full of lodges cafes bakeries and even a sweet shop There were plenty of nice looking places to stay but the one place I had my eye on was a Monk room in one of the lodges It was a prayer room usually where Monks would stay but since it was empty the owner said we could stay there The room was amazing with walls painted all over with bright colours and paintings There was a gorgeous shrine along one wall and a huge bell in the other corner After convincing my parents that we had to stay there we booked in and left our bags while we went for a walk around the town If you ever find yourselves in Namche you must visit the German bakery It s filled with the amazing 125

Page 126

Adventure She March 2019 smell of apple pie and pizza We stayed in Namche for three nights to help us acclimatize to the higher altitude and in that time we spent quite a bit of time sampling the bakery s many wonderful treats the only team not to lose anyone After helping with all the injured climbers they had to leave the mountain but were back again to have another go at being the first Gurkha team to summit Everest It was also in our lodge at Namche we noticed a group of men who seemed to be some sort of Everest Expedition So we Googled them like you do It turned out they were The British Army Gurkha Everest Expedition who were going to be trying to reach the tippy top of Everest They had been there two years previous when the big earthquake hit and they were After Namche we went to Tenboche This was one of the hardest days for me The choice of places to stay here is very limited so we carried on walking for another half an hour downhill again to reach our lodge for the night It had been a hard day so it was nice to get my bag off my back and take my boots off The hike involved going all the way down into the valley from Namche to reach a river and then a few hours of up hill to reach the monastery at Tengboche The trail just went on and on as we puffed and panted our way up At last we The other really hard day for me was the walk from Dingboche to Lobuche The morning started with a pretty easy walk but it was bitter cold The wind blew through the valley and there were mountains on either side so it was like being in a wind 126 reached the plateau with the monastery perched on top

Page 127

Adventure She March 2019 tunnel The valley finally ended We crossed a river and saw what looked like a small hill with trekkers porters and yaks all plodding their way upward It looked a pretty easy climb up but it was very deceptive I found that I got really exhausted and had to keep stopping to rest It got so bad that at one point I thought I would have to give up but we all encouraged one another and continued on At last we made it to the top of the pass and could see amazing views back along the valley and the mountains beyond There was still no sign of Lobuche though so our walk for the day wasn t over as we plodded along a rocky valley floor I was just so tired but I had to keep going I was only one day away from Everest Base Camp now I finally saw the small collection of lodges that made up Lobuche on the horizon and I must say that I almost ran the rest of the way After that we all got rather bad headaches and the cough I developed in Namche got worse so we decided to stay in Lobuche for a rest day The giant Khumbu Glacier was right next to the lodges and I could hear the loud cracks and rumbles as the glacier moved Feeling a lot better after an extra rest day we headed on toward Gorak Shep our last stop before Everest Base Camp Reaching Gorak Shep at lunchtime we booked into a lodge and ate fried rice and pancakes to recharge our batteries before heading on to Base Camp We were all so tired from the walking and the 127

Page 128

Page 129

Page 130

Adventure She March 2019 started to hail really heavily We got to a lodge in Pheriche just in time to take shelter and stay the night might be a hole or drop But the yaks we came across seemed to really enjoy the snow and were shaking and rolling round in it When I woke up the next day the hail had changed to something else snow I got very excited since I hadn t had a snow day in forever I ran outside and built a little snow man in the garden of the lodge Suddenly I thought of something ice When we reached the small village of Pangboche we were pelted by snowballs as we walked by the local houses Villagers had been hiding behind garden walls and having fun launching snowballs at passersby It was very cold as we started the walk with all of our clothing on but we soon warmed when the wind dropped Now the problem was ice We had to be really careful as the trail was very slippery and there was a steep drop on one side of the path so I got a little nervous about slipping We d been climbing and when we got to the top we found deep snow that we had to break trail through The problem was that it was so deep we didn t know what was underneath or where there The trail went up and up The sky began to darken and the whole mountain was covered with fog It soon began to lightly snow and we got a bit worried in case we were stuck out in heavy snow We even thought about going back to the last village But by now we were half way between two places We d been watching the weather for a while and in 130

Page 131

Adventure She March 2019 the end decided to keep going Luckily conditions improved and after about 30 minutes the fog lifted and the snow stopped falling T he trail slowly descended and we saw the village of Phortse in the distance We found a lovely lodge My Mum wasn t feeling well she had hip pain and she had something called Khumbu cough so stayed there for a couple of days One of the most memorable things which happened on the trail we only saw because we rested in that village From Phortse the trek to Namche began by walking downhill to cross a beautiful river We d just crossed the river and were on the forest trail when two men came running towards us carrying baby yaks My first thought was oh my gosh how cute are those baby yaks Then I saw several big angry yaks running close behind We quickly ran to the side of the trail and into the trees Most of the yaks didn t give us a second look but one particularly large black yak with huge horns spotted us and approached us angrily snorting with its head down looking ready to charge We backed up to hide behind a very thin tree but we knew if he decided to attack it wasn t much use He came closer still staring at us After what seemed like an eternity he backed away and rejoined the trail heading across the river We let out a sigh relieved 131

Page 132

Adventure She March 2019 down to have some dinner I stayed up in the room as I felt a bit ill I lay in my bed but after a while the feeling got worse until I was sick Afterward I felt fine and wanted to eat he hadn t attacked us On reaching Kumjing we found some ladies chatting in the village so we asked then how long the walk to Namche would take 15 minutes they said very confidently We couldn t work our why I had been sick but being the detectives we are worked out that my treat of chocolate was made in Malaysia and a lot of things in Malaysia are sweetened with pineapple Sure enough after looking at the wrapper we saw it contained pineapple and guess what I m allergic to pineapple Now the thing we have learned about the local mountain people and been told by Nepalese is that most don t have an understanding of time the way you or I might do A walk to somewhere takes as long as it takes without the need to know how long in a measurement of time so when we ask how long they just say a time that comes into their heads We learnt very early on that if we asked the time of a walk then we would have to double or triple it for us Westerners So the 15 minute walk actually took 2 hours After a few more days in Namche it was back on the trail toward Salleri By the time we got there Our energy was zapped but we had done it I couldn t wait to get back to Kathmandu pizza wash properly and sleep in a comfy bed with fluffy pillows and duvet We got to Namche Bazaar and my parents said I could buy some chocolate so I bought the nicest looking bar of chocolate in the shop We managed to get the same monk room in the lodge we d stayed in on our way up so we settled in but when my parents went 132

Page 133

Adventure She March 2019 Lodges Lodges on the trail are really simple and every night I would wonder what the beds would be like Usually they were hard but clean enough with a pillow Washing was difficult as some lodges may have a sink to share but usually just a bucket of cold water You could sometimes pay to have a bucket of hot water to wash with but as the trail got higher there were less ways to wash and too cold anyway so after a while we just gave up and used wet wipes to keep clean The one challenge we did find was that because we didn t have a guide it sometimes got a bit difficult to find lodges with room for us especially as we went higher and the amount of lodges gets less A guide would normally call ahead to arrange rooms but with a little determination and luck we managed OK Food All the lodges do food as well you are expected to eat there for breakfast and dinner The menu is mostly soup chow main noodles or fried rice but also things like fries pancakes curries etc Honey lemon tea was my favourite drink it was terribly sweet but really nice All the food is carried up by hand as there aren t any roads A lot of lodges offered meat but since it was carried up probably in a basket it wasn t really very safe to eat I think my favourite food was Ra Ra noodle soup since it tasted fresher because of some greenery mixed in 133