Combs Peak

The one with the mental and physical challenge.

📍 Location: MM 131.50 to MM 142.4 (camping)

🥾 Elevation: 4162ft
🥾 I actually walked: 11 hard miles
💰 Money: No money sent.
⛑️ Health: I promised to be authentic on these blogs so that’s what I’ll do. Today I discovered mosquito bites on my back and I also have chafing where a lady should never have chafing. It’s not pleasant! Sudocrem is my best friend! I threw up and just can’t keep anything down.

☀️ Weather: This heat is killing me. We left at 6am to avoid the heat of the day, but it’s roasting at 8am!!

🍲 Food: Granola, tortilla and peanut butter (which I threw up!). A few snacks but I didn’t eat much today. (Sorry for those worried about my food, ill do better tomorrow).

💤 Sleep: last night I slept ok. It was windy and even though people were moaning about it, I loved the breeze,

🐍 Snake count: 5. I was shaken by a rattler today and I was on my own.

LEARNINGS:-
Listen to your body. Stop when you need to stop.

THE LONG WINDED VERSION:-

🎒 6am - What a great start to the day, it’s all downhill and I’m in my element. My pack is heavy but I don’t care. I slept well (ish) and feel good.

😓 7.36 - I’m a few miles in and its boiling already. I feel a soreness in my butt cheeks which I’ve never felt before. It’s a bit difficult to stop and check but I knew I had to do something. At a bend on a switchback I grabbed my bidet to cool myself down, then got out the sudocrem. Just as I stood up “Kodak” aka Rose, came down the hill singing. “Are you ok?” She asks. “Butt chaffe sucks” I replied. “Me too, but keep cream on it and it will go away in a few days” she said. Perhaps that’s enough about a bum on fire!

🙏 8.06 - “oh, by the way, have you dropped something?” She asks. I look puzzled as she hands me my Platypus Dirty Water bag. “Good job you’ve got your name on it” she says. Thanks to Annette for the awesome labelling machine, it works!

🏕️ 8.08 - Amber and Harry (The Royals) had a bad day yesterday. With blisters on their feet and hands, plus the heat etc, they didn’t make it to our camp last night but camped a few miles back. It’s now just gone 8am and their smiley faces are lighting up the trail. Nothing can put these two down. It was so good to see them. They said hi then I let them pass as they were much faster than me.

🥵 9.06am - I’m now on my own and my pace has slowed right down. Climbing these hills, negotiating big boulders and rocks on the trail in this heat is crazy. I must have at least 30th d on my back. I haven’t seen anyone for miles. Just as I pass a massive boulder I hear a very distinctive rattle. I literally ran down the trail which I know is stupid. My heart is pumping fast and I’m about to cry. I start to question what on earth I’m doing out here?

😴 9.21am - I skip the water source as I still have two litres and I don’t have the energy to walk a 1/4 mile down the hill and then up again. I’m exhausted in this heat and it’s only 9.20am!!

💦 10.49am - My next stop is a water concrete cistern. An American fella is here (I forgot his name) and so is Nick from the UK. The American takes charge and enjoys helping out a lady in need of water. In his manly way, he lies on his stomach and dips his water bag into the cool smeggy water below. It looks rank with bits floating in it. He gets up and transfers a litre into my dirty water bottle. I then filter it into another bottle and it’s looking much better. This guy loves the English accent and kept the conversation going for a while. If I’m honest, I was just glad for an excuse to stop.

💤 11.30 - Siesta time. I can’t stand this heat. I’ll leave again around 3.30pm and then trek on to the Water Tank at Mary’s. (That didn’t happen!)

🥾 1.30pm - DinkyDi shows up with Jesse and The Royals (Amber & Harry). They all look pleased to see me as they were concerned. They are pushing on in this heat and for some crazy reason I decide that this is a good idea and I’ll stay with my tramily. DinkyDi explains that they are stopping each mile and having a drink. They head off and I pack up my gear. Deep breath! You got this…. I tell myself, but I haven’t. I feel weak, in pain with my hips, dizzy and just not up for walking in this heat. Stupidly I carry on slowly. The gang is a long way ahead now and I’m just getting slower. After a mile of stopping and starting I call it quits.

🏕️ 5pm - I made it to mile 142.4 and I’m exhausted. I’ve thrown up once and I know I’m dehydrated even though I’m drinking loads. I’ve walked in Spain but never in this heat and it’s taking its toll. I know I need to eat something as well so I choose the heaviest thing in my pack which is Orange Granola. I can also eat this with cold water as I’m running out of gas for my stove. The hot chocolate hits the spot and it’s handy that I have no mobile phone service so I can just go to bed without any distractions. The others are camped 2.6 miles away so as I’m an early bird and I hike fast before the sun comes out, then I should catch them up.

Right, last little chores to do before bed. I need to redress my blisters and clean this filth off me using wet wipes. We have no water for a while now so I need to be careful.

There is one other tent here, Sonia from Austria.

Night night everyone. Tomorrow is another day. Tomorrow is also town day and I intend to take two days off!Read more