Tuesday 1 September 2009

OMG!

It's 1st September.

Guess what just landed on my doormat....

Approximately another two months and I'll know.

Oh my.

5 comments:

Alan Sloman said...

Fingers crossed, then!

Louise said...

Just fingers? Walking's going to be a little tricky for the next couple of months, with everything crossed! And now I've opened it and found the form and feel just a little naive and inadequate.

I'm sure I can do it, I want to, I so want to do this, but I think when I write on paper the answers in my head to the questions, I'm going to look very inexperienced. I may not have done a lot, but, oh boy, do I know the scottish weather. I live in it, sometimes more than is necessary!

My sidekick's pretty useful though.

Grief, I whitter. My nerves even get on my nerves at times. I'll go back to being excitable.

Alan Sloman said...

First things first: Don't Panic!

Be as honest as you can when filling in the 'first-timer's form - it will help the vetters when they wet your route with how much help they think you will need. It also gives 'Challenge Control' a good insight into how things might be panning out in case there is a problem whilst oin the walk.

It sounds like your Dave is pretty experienced. That coupled with all the work you have been doing over the last year or so will hold you in good stead - along with the fact that living and walking up there means that the terrain is not going to be a surprise to you both. You will be amazed at the numbers of new Challengers who are blown away with how vast the place is!

Good luck to you both and keep getting out there practicing your navigation in shite weather and a few tricky river crossings help too!

Louise said...

"Wet my route"?
A little prophecising going on here, maybe?

Ever been down the River Nethy, going north between Bynack Stable and Forest Lodge, Abernethy Forest? Hmm, we did, one October a few years ago. It's supposed to be fordable a mile or so south of the logde. We didn't think so when we got there, but happened across a mountain goat (RSPB volunteer lady in her other life) who showed us where to cross using a fallen tree as a bridge.

The mountain goat and David tripped merrily across the tree trunk. Louise bummed it across! I guess I should do some more, learning to judge the safe from the dangerous and oh, there's a bridge further on!

A dram, that'll do the trick! And you're right, David's quite useful really and has lots of practice at peeling me down off the ceiling gently. Generally, I panic verbally and only act after rational thought has returned.

Thanks Alan, you're proving to be a real brick.

Alan Sloman said...

"Louise bummed it across!

Me too! I would rather wade a torrent up to my waist than hang perilously from one of the dreaded wire bridges. I once 'bummed' the entire length of Crib Goch when I did the Welsh Three Thousands, much to the hilarity of my walking 'mates.'