General Chat

***DAISY'S DIARY*** Saturday – Day 8 And so to the last morning of our trek. We woke at 3.30am and struggled to force down some breakfast. After packing our bags for the very last time we said a last goodbye to our wonderful Berbers who would now return to their families across the desert. It was 5am and we had an hour and a half’s walk to watch the sunrise. It felt quite weird walking in the dark with our headlamps on and it was freezing. As we walked along we spotted a desert rat rooted to the spot like a rabbit in headlights. Apart from some lizards, a snake, the locust and a few beetles we hadn’t seen much in the way of reptiles and insects and, to our disappointment, no scorpions. Soon after we stopped at a small stony ridge from where we watched the sun rise. It was a beautiful array of colours. We took photos but nobody really spoke except in a whisper. 5 minutes later the truck and landy appeared and it was time to jump on board to be transported for 2 hours across the remainder of the Sahara. I was feeling a little queasy so elected to go in the landy with Tracey, Julie, Gemma and Yvette. The others were loaded into the empty truck like cattle and would have to stand up for the entire journey. I desperately needed to pee but we were off before I could mention it to anyone and it took all my effort and concentration to control my pelvic floor muscles as the landy bumped across the dunes and vegetation at breakneck speed. The scenery was amazing; like something out of a Western with imposing mountains to both sides and a vast expanse ahead and behind us. However, despite the view, after 20 minutes I could bear it no longer and asked the driver to stop among some shrubs. The truck flew past us tooting and once I returned to the landy the driver drove like a man possessed, determined to overtake the truck. Within 10 minutes we did, quite literally heading the truck off at a pass and not long later we stopped again. This time the truck stopped too. It appeared everyone else needed a pit stop aswell! The ladies were offered the relative privacy of the side of the truck but the queue was long and it was going to take at least half an hour for everyone to go separately. By now I needed to go again and suggested to the girls that we go together. Seven of us lined up at the side of the truck and peed, giggling all the time! Another first and I sincerely hope nobody took a photo! Feeling much better I decided not to miss out on the fun of the white knuckle ride so hopped onto the back of the truck and hung on for dear life. The wind whipped the sand into our faces and we had to grip the sides of the truck, keeping our knees soft whilst the truck threw us from side to side. It was totally exhilarating and great fun but all too soon we reached a checkpoint and saw a small town ahead of us and realised that this was the end. We were waived ceremoniously through the checkpoint and pulled over by the side of the road to wait for our minibuses. Our bags were taken off the truck and loaded onto the buses and then it was time for a final goodbye to our drivers and to the Sahara before we climbed on board for the 4 ½ hour journey to Ouarzazate. After just one pitstop we pulled into the hotel forecourt and raced to our rooms! It was such a relief to use a loo and the shower and hair wash was absolute bliss! I rang home and spoke to Chris and later Ellie. It was so lovely to hear their voices and know that they were ok. In just over 12 hours I would see them and Fran and Tom again and it seemed an interminable time to wait now. Yvette and I went into the town with Gemma, Paul, Andy and Cliff and spent some time bartering with the shopkeepers as we bought our souvenirs and presents. I haggled for some lovely fuchsia pink, camel leather shoes and a purple shash, both of which I shall probably never wear but absolutely had to have as a memento. I also bought a wooden camel and some bracelets and I think I drove a hard bargain. The shop keepers seemed to think so but I suspect it was all part of the game! The bartering was fun but became very tedious and irritating when they pushed it too far, offering to return to our hotel with us, or to the bank so that we could get more money. We left with them chasing after us still trying to sell us things we didn’t want! I don’t think they were offended though – it was just a normal day for them after all.

We managed to flag a couple of them down and a few minutes later arrived at our destination. We looked to see where we should head first though problem was nowhere looked particularly inviting and we felt a bit conspicuous amongst all the locals. We went round the block a couple of times and ran the gauntlet of the local shopkeepers whose methods of motivational salesmanship just to say stopped short of physically kidnapping you from the street. Of course, we were easy prey and so feebly made a promise to come back and look inside the shop once we’d had a look about. A decision was eventually made to head for the local street market and so we headed down a narrow passage that would make idle browsing impossible if it were busy. We looked at the various trinkets and fabrics and didn’t have to wait long before we were either lured inside or were being handed items for us to deliberate over. Initially, I wasn’t really in the mood for bartering and playing along with the pantomime spiel but I began to warm to the task as the afternoon wore on. Paul and I were shown some neck chains, rings and bracelets, all of which looked ornate but easily could have been cheap tat in disguise. Having been shown some items, the market holder named his price in Dirham. A few mental calculations later and I shook my head at the offer, so he then asked me to name my price. I wrote down what I thought the items were worth and showed it to him. He then launched into the usual ‘what are you trying to do to me’ response as he set about defending the offer he’d made. To be fair to him and everyone else we met that afternoon, they didn’t get nasty about it, and relaying the tale about how we’d had money stolen in the Sahara may have helped to a certain extent in them going easy on us. In the end, both Paul & I got the items at the price we had offered and I remember Daisy coming away with a pair of shoes. We were getting offers to come and visit other shops and it was at this point that we started getting split up a bit. Cliff seemed unperturbed about being lured into a shop by himself, whilst Yvette and I found ourselves in a tiny little shop selling more of the same kind of trinkets. The young guy running the shop said he was studying English at university and that he welcomed the opportunity to put his English skills to good use, and no doubt his salesman skills as well, I cynically thought. His brother rustled up some drinks for me and Yvette, leading me to wonder what I would have to purchase in order to secure my release from the shop as recompense for the free drinks. That said, he was friendly enough, however in the end, Paul came in, made a purchase and we were able to make our farewells with the minimum of fuss. Paul had already paid a couple of visits to the cash machine and in the end we were using him to loan us the money, as we all came away with a brand new shash. The afternoon had certainly given a new meaning to the term shop till you drop and we all headed back once more to the hotel. Having got back to the hotel, we joined the others who were still by the pool, and got the barman to bring over some nice cold beers. As the evening got ever nearer, we later transferred to the bar itself and secured a table. The bar was playing easy-on-the-ear Dire Straits, which was followed up by Bruce Springsteen. However the strains of ‘The Boss’ singing Thunder Road were soon cut short as the evening’s entertainment then turned to a poor quality keyboard player who’d clearly over-dosed on Kraftwerk at some stage, as he played and sang this interminable dross at a volume that intruded in on conversation. It was then time to go to the restaurant for our evening meal and so we piled in the mini-buses again and headed off down town. We got to the restaurant and seemed to climb what felt like an infinite number of steps before we made it to the floor where we would be eating. The buffet spread that had been laid out was very nice and it was all very civilised. However, understandably, we were tired having been up so early and plans for an all-nighter through to the morning were quickly shelved in favour of bed. When we got back to the hotel, no-one appeared to opt for the bar, and so we disappeared off to bed, this time knowing we would have a 3am start in readiness for the flight back home! Eeek!

I switched my mobile on for the first time in days and picked up a signal straightaway as well as a text sent a few days ago from Diana, explaining why she’d left. I replied back and said we’d done it and we were just waiting to be taken back to Ouarzazate. Once aboard the bus, I had planned to stay awake and take some photos from the bus window as it was a gorgeous day once more. However, it was no good, having at last obtained a reasonably comfy seat, I couldn’t beat the urge to nod off and soon I was away. I woke up a couple of times to find everyone else had done the same. After some time we did all wake up and tucked into our packed lunches that had been put together by the Berbers. As we got closer to Ouarzazate, the driver pointed out to us some film studios and told us that films such as Gladiator and Cleopatra had been filmed there. We made it back to the hotel and were given details of the room arrangements once more; I would be with Paul again. We were back in Ouarzazate long before Ken’s original time estimate and we had the whole afternoon to play with before dinner at the restaurant in the evening. Some wanted to go into the centre of Ouarzazate and do some shopping, others favoured swimming in the hotel pool or just lounging beside it. Both Paul and I were fairly ambivalent about going into town - after the early start doing anything remotely active did not seem like a good idea, whereas lounging by the pool did. We decided to get cleaned up first before coming to a decision; I looked in the mirror and chuckled at the amount of sand I had once again accumulated from being in the back of the truck. It was good to get a wash, shave and a shower as I managed to turn a perfectly clean white towel into a not so clean orange one. Both Gemma and Daisy were in favour of heading into town, so Paul and I decided to muster what little strength we had for a walk about in the centre of Ouarzazate. As we were ready before Daisy, we headed down to the pool-side and parked ourselves on the loungers. The ones who were going to hang round the pool came down and then our group consisting of me, Paul, Gemma, Daisy, Yvette & Cliff headed out to the front of the hotel to try and stop a couple of passing taxis.

Day 8 - Saturday The alarm on my mobile went off and the screen started flashing, yes it really was 3.30am. I could hear the voices in the tent next door chattering away but there was not much movement coming from our tent, as some of us tried to poach another 20 minutes sleep in the hope that it would make getting up seem more bearable. I slept in the clothes I was going to be wearing and wondered how the hell I was going to fit my holdall bag (in storage back at the hotel) back into my giant rucksack, which was already heaving despite having given away some t-shirts and shorts to the Berbers. The whole process from getting up to getting walking resembled one continuous blur, during which I mumbled good morning to the others as I entered the mess tent to laughingly grab ‘breakfast’ at 4am. This morning's walk was in addition to the 100km that had already been covered, however seeing as we had lost the Tuesday afternoon to the sandstorms, it was nice to know that the distance walked this morning would compensate for the distance lost on the Tuesday. Sometime around 5am, we said one last goodbye to some of the Berbers and left camp for the final time. It was cold, but not unbearably so and we trudged off down the track in the darkness. I was still wearing my head torch with it still switched on, under the illusion that it was lighting up the path in front of me when in actual fact, it was doing nothing of the sort, so I turned it off and packed it away. The walk we had to do was easy underfoot and fairly unremarkable but we just had to keep going for an hour to an hour and a half before we would stop to take in the sunrise. There was a somewhat funereal like atmosphere amongst the group that was a combination of a lack of sleep and the realisation that we would soon be homeward bound. After some time, one could tell it was gradually getting lighter as the night skies began to disappear. Soon, Ken pointed to a raised bit of stony ground, which was where we would park ourselves in readiness for the sun coming up. Not much was said as we sat and waited and then up it came; we had to be quick as the sun rises quickly in this part of the world and we would only have a few minutes to click away on our cameras. Looking at the photos I’d taken, I was pleased to see that I had managed to capture the different stages of it rising. Ken looked at his watch; we were due to hop aboard either the truck or the Land Rover to take us back to civilisation but he seemed to think we had time to spare. He asked us whether we wanted to walk a bit more or just wait where we were sat until the vehicles showed up. It was still too cold to be sat around waiting so the consensus was that we would walk for a bit longer. Almost no sooner had we got to our feet than the Land Rover and truck came hurtling down the track to come and greet us. Those feeling somewhat queasy or not in the best of shape opted for the seemingly safer option of travelling in the Land Rover, whilst the rest of us climbed aboard the back of the truck. Our giant rucksacks were already aboard having been loaded on there back at camp and so Ken opted to use the rucksacks as a makeshift bed and grabbed 40 winks as the truck bumped its way across the desert. The rest of us initially sat on the floor but it was going to be a rough couple of hours journey and so we decided we might as well look at the scenery along the way. Although it was a largely futile exercise, I grabbed whatever photos I could whilst trying not to land up arse over tit, though fortunately the truck and Land Rover stopped once or twice for toilet breaks, so I used the opportunity to take some photos then. I suddenly remembered the need to apply some suncream as there had obviously been no need around the time we left camp, but now it was starting to get warmer, I hastily applied some to my face and arms. Daisy later joined us in the back for the remaining journey and as we looked into the distance, houses and buildings started to appear against the backdrop of the mountains, the more we got closer to the roadside. We made it to the roadside and clambered down awkwardly from the truck, this was it - goodbye desert, farewell to six highly memorable days and nights. We didn’t have to wait long for the mini-buses to turn up and so there was time to say goodbye and thanks to Abdul, the Land Rover driver, and Mohammed (Hokey Cokey Blokey), the truck driver who was still in slightly animated form – he was a right old character!

Sorry - must be too long again. Here's the rest: We rearrange the tables so that we can all sit together. We have fun but the food is not a patch on what we ate in the desert. I am sat between Clare and Anna and between them they are sneaking food onto my plate. The waiter must think I keep getting more and so leaves my rather full plate until last! We leave the restaurant early as some of the group are tired (hardly surprising) and we have to be up early, again. Once back at the hotel half a dozen of us have a drink in the bar – just the one though! We are all pretty exhausted and we have to be up at quarter to 3 for breakfast at 3. Jack xx

Day 8 We have breakfast about 20 past 4. There is freshly squeezed orange juice and it’s lovely. I have bread and jam again. Some people can’t manage to eat anything, as it is too early so they stock up on tracker bars for later. None of us can believe that we have just spent our last night in the desert. We are all a bit sleepy but get our teeth cleaned and are just about ready to set off walking at 5am. It is easy walking in the cold and the moon is bright so we can see. The sun will rise behind us so we keep looking back over our shoulders. We walk for about an hour before having a quick break to allow everyone to catch up. People chat and have a bit of time for reflection. I am thinking about my mum. I am sure I hear her voice in my head saying, “well done kid – I’m proud of you”. I feel a bit tearful. We have been fundraising and building up to this trek for around a year now. It really gave me something to focus on after my Mum’s death last April. What’s going to fill the hole now it’s all over? The sky is so beautiful now. All but 2 stars have disappeared. Where the sun is about to appear the sky is pink. Pink for Mum. Pink for Diana. Pink for all of us. Very apt. We reach a little peak and decide to sit and watch the sun come up. Clare and I nip behind a hill for what will be our last wee al fresco. We all take photos – it really is something else. We HAVE walked over 100 Kilometres now and are so very proud. I don’t have any blisters and my prickly heat is fading fast. I feel wonderful. We set off walking again and soon see the land rover and the truck approaching. We stop and wait. A few of the group go in the land rover for the more comfortable ride but most of us get in the back of the truck for the white-knuckle ride. It’s like a truck for cattle, high sided, no roof. At first we sit down on our kit bags – it’s a bumpy ride. We decide to stand and look out. WOW. What a ride – it’s exhilarating. People would pay good money for a ride like this. We bounce all over but soon get the knack of it. I grin all the way. We also get covered in sand, eat dust and get a few bruises! No way would this be legal in England. What a fine way to leave the desert. The journey takes us a couple of hours and then we meet the mini buses at the edge of the desert. We have a 3-hour drive back to the hotel. The chef has prepared us all a picnic lunch (Freshly baked bread, a hard boiled egg, a tomato, cheese, salami (yuk!), and an orange). Our bus eat lunch at about 11ish after a brief toilet stop (where Daisy shouts for someone to pee with her so the noise will help pmsl) – well we have been up since 3.30! We arrive back at the hotel at about 12.30. Once in our rooms I can’t decide who to phone first. I phone Ellie. It is so lovely to talk to her. I have missed my baby so much. We chat and laugh for a while then I say goodbye and ring Dean. It feels like so long since we last spoke. Now I can’t wait to get home. I dread my mobile phone bill as someone tells me its £1.79 a minute – looks like mine will top the £100 mark. It feels strange to be inside 4 walls. I go to the loo. How nice to be able to sit on a toilet!! Clare and I head down to the bar and get a coffee (yes – coffee!) and we text Pink. She texts us back telling us to sod the coffee and get a beer down our necks – maybe later. There are a few of the gang around the pool so we chat for a bit before deciding that we really do need a shower as it has been 3 days since our last one. Clare goes first while I catch up with my diary. I feel grubbier than ever. Now it’s my turn for the shower. It truly is a wonderful feeling to be clean, especially my hair (clean on my head and gone from my legs!). I seemed to be in the shower for ages, in fact it was probably the best shower I have ever had! I brought white clothes for the last night (like Mum always did on holiday) to show off my T-shirt tan and make me feel doubly clean. White combat pants, a strappy top and sandals. I feel like a woman again. Clare and I go and sit with some of the others around the pool and have a couple of beers (not Clare as she doesn’t drink). It is a bit chilly so we end up in the bar. I decide to change some money for the celebratory night out later and change £40 into dirhams. I buy the whole group a drink and it only comes to about £12.50. It sure is cheap here. At 7pm the buses pick us up to take us to the restaurant. Several of us girls have to cover our shoulders and bare arms, as strappy tops are apparently not the way to dress in Morocco. I borrow Suzy C’s shash as mine is white and filthy which does not look good with my white outfit! I don’t feel quite as nice but obviously don’t want to offend anyone. The restaurant isn’t far away. It has been reserved only for us. We rearrange the tables so that we can all sit together. We have fun but the food is not a patch on what we ate in the desert. I am sat between Clare and Anna and between them they are sneaking food onto my plate. The waiter must think I keep getting more and so leaves my rather full plate until last! We leave the restaurant early as some of the group are tired (hardly surprising) and we have to be up early, again. Once back at the hotel half a dozen of us have a drink in the bar – just the one though! We are all pretty exhausted and we have to be up at quarter to 3 for breakfast at 3.

We have our breakfast then pack up. Funny that it’s the last day already – it has really flown. Today is walking over hard flat ground so it’s relatively easy but we have the longest distance to do. We walk at a good pace and arrive at lunch early. Thankfully they have put up a toilet tent (it is so open that there really isn’t anywhere to go). I feel a little sick before lunch – I think it is because I am in need of food. I must be right, as I feel so much better after eating. I keep in the shade, unlike Anna who sunbathes (mad!), although I would quite happily sunbathe if there were a nice cool pool to dive into. The afternoon walking is pretty good – we are nearly there. It is very hot and windy but thankfully there is not really any sand about so we are escaping the whipping. There is nowhere to wee unless you drop to the back and tell everyone to keep looking forwards. I’m at the front and don’t want to drop all that way to the back so I hold it in. It makes it harder walking with a full bladder but I try not to think about it. Eventually we arrive at the foot of a hill and camp is around the corner. We stand and wait for everyone to catch up (please hurry up I need a pee!!!). We all stand in a line and hold hands and walk around the corner and into camp together. The Berber crew is our welcoming committee. They have put up Diana’s banner and written ‘FINISH’ using stones on the ground. They are playing drums and singing. That’s it – we’ve done it – 100K. The feeling is great (apart from my now massive tummy!). We pose for photos before I literally run to the toilet tent. I manage to stamp my feet for a few seconds while I take a photo of the freshly dug hole (I know the kids will be impressed) then its trousers down as quick as possible! We get our kit bags and sort out our stuff for our last night in the desert (or rather half a night). We then sit and chill with coffee and freshly baked cake. I can’t wait to get my boots off – the prickly heat is now on my feet. We sort out our stuff, anything we don’t need we are going to leave for the crew and their families (a full bag full of cuppa soups amongst other things!) and then I take a bit of time to catch up with my diary before smothering my prickly heat in calamine lotion (how good does that feel!). Others climb up a nearby hill or just have time to reflect on what we have just achieved. Dinner is early tonight – at about 6. Then we are all set for an early night, as we will be getting up at 3.30am so that we can walk as the sun rises. This will mean, that even taking the jeep ride into account earlier in the week, we will have physically walked over the 100K. Dinner is a real surprise – we have minestrone soup instead of the usual followed by……………Chicken and chips! It really is amazing what the chef can rustle up in the middle of the desert! Today is Tracey’s birthday so we have another cake and candle and the chef has made what are rather like pikelets. We chat for a while then we leave the mess tent to add to the ‘FINISH’ message that is written in the stones. It’s a real team effort and we write ‘For Gaynor and Diana’. It is now too dark to be able to take a photo (even with everyone’s torches) so the land rover is called upon. Daisy climbs onto the roof to take photos while the headlights shine over our message. We all plan to share our photo’s using the miracles of modern technology so Daisy takes a few to make sure and finally it’s time for bed. It’s too windy to sleep outside so we are all in the tents tonight. I wake once needing a wee but manage to fall asleep without going – it’s too cold to get up tonight and I am sure it’s not too far off 3.30 anyway. I’m right. In no time at all Daisy’s alarm clock goes off and we all very slowly drag ourselves out of bed, get dressed, visit the hole and sort out our bags.

Day 7 c'td Just as we were heading off to bed, Jack and Clare started looking for stones. Under the word FINISH they had used more stones to spell GAYNOR. Most of us joined in and in no time at all we had spelt out “FOR GAYNOR & DIANA”. We tried to take a photo but it was too dark even with everyone standing round pointing their headlamps and torches. Susie dashed off to Mohammed who drove the landy round and directed the headlamps at our message. Someone suggested I get on top of the landy to take a photo and up I climbed, standing on the landy roof in my pjs taking photos. Despite the solemn message in the stones it was a very funny moment and we were all laughing. Then it was time for bed ready for our early start. Or so we thought. Susie and Cliff had seen someone lurking in the distance and we were all very jittery, so Larson and a few of the Berbers went off in the landy to check it out. Everything was fine but nobody was taking any chances so once again the Berbers slept outside and patrolled the camp.

Daisy is currently away, so I'm going to be adding in her last 3 days to the diary. ***Daisy's Diary*** Another 5.30am start and one or two clearly had hangovers but wisely didn’t mention this to the rest of us! During breakfast we sang happy birthday to Tracey and gave her a card. She was still in extreme pain but insisted on walking today. Ken reminded everyone that we only had 3 litres of water each until lunchtime when the Berbers would catch us up in the landy, having gone to fetch more water for us. Whilst eating breakfast four little boys appeared. We gave them some of our gifts and they seemed pleased. We set off at 7am with the welcome news that we only had a 3 hour walk this morning, mostly across the flat salt pans. There were a few small dunes to start with but these petered out quite quickly and we then walked across several kilometres of Hamada with dunes lying to the south. Eventually the acacia trees disappeared and we were walking on the flat open saltpan - terrain so completely flat, cracked and dry that it resembled crazy paving. The last rains were just last month but already everything was parched. There was no shelter, little breeze a strong heat and nowhere to pee without waiting for everyone to pass by first. Ahead of us was a large mountain, which appeared to be a coastline because of the shimmering heat. This was our mirage and it was quite spectacular. I took several photos, not expecting to capture the mirage and was delighted when I succeeded! It was impossible to judge distances and although our lunch tents were clearly visible ahead it was another 30 minutes before we reached them at 10am. It was stiflingly hot and we were glad of the shelter. Lahcen told us that trekkers following one day behind us would be the last until October because the heat and conditions are too hostile. That explained the 43C then! After lunch we topped up our platypuses and set off on the 2 hour walk to camp. It was a very long and hot couple of hours and we couldn’t see the camp at any point. We stopped at a mound at the edge of the saltpans, by the foothills of the Jebel Bani and Ken pointed to a collection of stones atop it and explained that this was the official 99.9km marker. He suggested we all take a minute to think about why we made this trek and what we’ve all achieved personally and for the charity. Then we linked hands and walked round the corner of the mound to find the camp ahead of us and our Berbers standing around 2 finishing posts, the CRUK banners strung between them. As we approached the finish line the Berbers sang and beat their drums and we all walked through the posts together. Just beyond the posts was a square of stones with the word FINISH set out in more stones. We all hugged and congratulated each other and lined up for our photos. Clare and Paul asked if anyone fancied climbing the stony dune to admire the view. I was the only taker so off we went. It was a little precarious as so many stones were loose but we made it to the top and looked down on the camp and across to the Jebel Bani, the salt pans and, in the far distance the point at which we would make our final journey across the last of the Sahara. After taking our photos and enjoying the peace of being so high up, we made our descent, gingerly stepping on the more sturdy looking stones, hoping they would hold. After a quick rub down with the baby wipes we made for the mess tent for Tracey’s mini birthday cake and our hot chocolate and then went to our sleeping tents to sort out bags of clothes, food, toiletries and the children’s gifts we were giving to the Berbers. Dinner was a lovely surprise - minestrone soup, chicken and chips, carrots, peas and fruit salad! Then, as before, the lights went off and we saw the orange glow of the mini jack-o-lantern and the sound of the drums and singing as the Berbers entered the tent with a cake for Tracey. We all thanked the Berbers for a wonderful time and for their hospitality and they told us that we were now part of their families and they shall always be in our service. There was not a dry eye in the mess tent and then we handed over our gifts to the Berbers who seemed very pleased, even if a lot of the t-shirts were pink!

Wonderful Andy, so emotional at the end!!

We then had a whip-round for the Berbers for their dedicated service during the week and started filling bags with items (clothes, food etc…) that we no longer needed. Some people had also especially brought some items such as toys with them in order to give them to people who needed them. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits and on a bit of a high from having completed the trek, but one or two of us were already starting to feel a bit down at the realisation that it was now over. We had set out to do what we wanted to do and we had now done it, so what next? That somewhat melancholy thought took us to dinner, which immediately banished any such thoughts as the Berbers arrived, armed with plates of chicken and chips! What a result, just what was needed and we tucked in like never before. Then just as with Tuesday, the Berbers returned and sang what I presume was Happy Birthday in their native language to Tracey, before presenting her with a plate of what may have been pancakes. It was also time to convey our thanks to the Berbers and present them each with a share of the money that had been collected earlier. We clapped each of the guys, who would now be returning to their every day lives, having been a vital part of our adventure. It felt a very emotional moment, something that can’t really be explained unless you had lived the moment, but I can report that it probably had something to do with the bonding and togetherness we’d all shared during the week. Any temptation to stay up late and revel in our achievement was soon put into focus by the sobering thought that we would have to be up at 3.30am the following morning for breakfast and to set off for one final walk across the desert to catch the sun rising. I tried to sort out as much as I could with my rucksack- by now resembling a laundry basket instead of a bag containing neatly folded clothes- before I went to sleep to minimise the amount of clearing up in the morning. Tomorrow would be another very long day.

Day 7 - Friday Like Thursday, we again got up an hour earlier to try and take advantage of the potentially cooler air in the morning and nullify the effect of any sand blowing around in the afternoon by getting to camp sooner. We firstly all wished Tracey a happy birthday for today. Ken told us that today would be the longest day walking – 22km in fact, but that it was flat all the way. He was not wrong, we set out after breakfast and crossed the giant saltpans. There was absolutely no natural shade today whatsoever and although one could see the ridge of mountains to our right and an escarpment in the far distance, this was about as open and exposed an area as you could imagine. To be honest, there was little to remark upon from the day’s walking as there was little or nothing in the way of changing scenery and the experience felt, if you’ll forgive the pun, somewhat flat in comparison to the thrills and spills of the previous day. That said, we were able to gaze in amazement at the mirages in the distance, which suggested that there was a lake or an area of water to be found if we kept on walking but of course it was naturally a hoax. Even the terrain in the immediate distance seemed to suggest we would be encountering sand again for walking on, however that too proved unfounded. Eventually we saw in the distance the sight of the tent having been erected for lunch, thankfully this was not a mirage and gave us something to aim at, as the tent slowly but surely got nearer and nearer. Ken felt that we had made good time in the morning and so told us that we would have a long lunch break. For the first time in the week, it looked as if we would not be bothered with sandstorms in the afternoon as we were so far away from any sand. The sun was by now scorching and I sat in what little shade there was outside the tent, writing some notes for my diary. We had lunch and lazed about in the tent with Ken dozing off at one point, before we then set off again for the final leg of the journey. The afternoon offered more of the same; the escarpment that we had been heading towards seemed no nearer than when we first set out in the morning, proving that it was impossible to gauge distances today. After some time Ken told us to wait up by this large stony mound, which had a cairn erected on it. We were told that this was the 99.9km marker and that the finish was just around the corner. To mark the occasion, Ken told us that the normal course of events in these situations was for the group to link arms and walk in side by side, as a team. It certainly felt like the right thing to do, as we’d all experienced together the highs and lows of the week that been. So, I joined hands with Yvette and Julie, and as we turned the corner, we saw the Berbers there waiting for us, with finishing posts erected, complete with the Cancer Research bunting. The Berbers were banging their drums and cheering and as we got closer we noticed that rocks had been laid out on the ground, spelling the word ‘Finish’. After congratulating each other, we posed for the group photos at the finishing line, before heading to the tent to recuperate and drink some more water. Having got to the tent, I crashed out and relaxed for a bit, Tracey examined the state of her feet, which had taken a brutal pounding since day 1 – how she managed to get through from start to finish is a credit to her guts and determination. Some people still had plenty of energy to spare, with Paul, Clare, Daisy & Cliff deciding to climb this big stony dune, located behind the camp. Susie came into the tent still bubbling, and impressed us with an impressive burst of energy, by pole-dancing up and down the tent-pole.

I'm going to wait until I get home to add day 7 in case anyone else has a day 6! Catch ya this evening. Love Jack (who managed to escape Mohammeds clutches!) x

Day 6 c'td After a break, we climbed our way out of the more heavy dunes and left Chgaga behind as we descended down into palm groves. We were still quite a way to go until lunch but right now I was feeling completely at ease with my walking and feeling the best I had felt all week. With this in mind, I decided to push on and stride out a bit more and was one of the first ones into camp for lunch with Jack and Clare. It had been tiring work in the heat despite feeling comfortable with my walking, and I collapsed out on the rug whilst getting my breath back. I got in a good breather and I had really enjoyed this morning's walk but a few of the others reported that it had been long and tiring. Lunch was slightly shorter than usual with the need to press on before the wind became a factor, however the plan didn’t really work as the wind did decide to pick up slightly earlier and blow sand across us anyway. If the morning had been enjoyable then the afternoon was understandably anything but. However, although the sand blowing around was a problem as usual, the more irritating aspect was the monotonous route in the direction of evening camp. I felt it offered nothing to aim at in order to motivate us on towards our destination as the bushes and the small undulating sands tended to obscure whatever lay on the horizon. The feeling of having walked on sand all day was beginning to lend itself towards general fatigue as well. However, we reached camp sooner than any of us first thought as it appeared that Ken had decided to get us moving quicker by telling us that it was a 4 hour afternoon walk when it was much shorter than that! Whatever, it was a relief to see camp earlier than was expected. Surprisingly, the shower facilities were back again tonight, having been informed earlier in the week that they would be in camp only on alternate nights. Oddly enough, I turned down the decision to shower, I can only think that I had now reached a sloth-like existence for the evening and the prospect of hopping about in a confined space, whilst trying to put clothes on just did not appeal to me. It wasn’t the most attractive spot that we had camped in all week but the wind had kicked up so much sand that it was like peering through a kind of gauze. Afternoon tea arrived as soon as we were back in camp and dinner followed later on. Earlier in the day, some of us had agreed to camp out under the stars tonight; the trek literature had recommended it as an experience to be savoured, so we agreed to do so. The Berbers asked us whether we would like a fire to be lit and entertainment provided for the evening, we said yes with the intention of going to work on the bottles of wine that Ken had on him. As the singing got underway, I joined the others later on to find the El Vino in full flow. The Berbers tried to get us to play their instruments, whilst we tried to show them the conga; both sides arguably failing miserably to achieve either. Mohammed the truck driver (otherwise known by us as Hokey Cokey Blokey) was even more inebriated and took a particular liking to Paul’s Southern Comfort. Someone suggested a massage, which then turned into a group massage with Mohammed then insisting on massaging everyone – I can only say that his grip felt more akin to acute strangulation! Those that had gone to bed early were probably cursing us, as we carried on until midnight before then fetching our mattresses and sleeping bags outside. I think I was the only one who didn’t get a good night’s sleep and was glad when morning came, even if it was 5.30am. Friday was our final full day’s walking before the return to Ouarzazate, I was beginning to feel a bit sad at the thought of that.

I'm a bit behind. Day 6 - Thursday Today was D-Day, that is Dune-Day. This was the day that we had talked about the most and in some cases feared due to the fact that we had to climb a 300m dune. Up until now, whilst we had to encounter some dunes on the first afternoon, we hadn't had to walk across large areas of sand over long distances so when we heard that we would be walking across sand all day long then this didn't make the task seem any easier. However, before we faced that encounter, all of us faced a disturbance during the night that I briefly mentioned in Wednesday's entry. I heard this noise during the night but couldn't make out what it was. Not being fully alert, I initially thought it sounded like someone sounding a horn or siren. As time wore on, I could hear the sound in the distance closely followed by the same repeated sound again but much nearer this time, in fact it sounded like it was coming from within the camp. It wasn't until the morning that we found out what it was. Apparently it were donkeys braying in the night and according to someone, one of them had stuck its head round the flap of the tent. I don't think anyone was particularly amused, especially after the occasion when the rucksacks were stolen. We had also decided to leave camp an hour earlier than normal in order to get more walking done in the morning due to the high winds and sandstorms that we had been facing on previous afternoons. Given the donkey situation during the night, I'm not sure whether getting up an hour earlier was a help or a hinderance. I think this morning may have been the morning that the Berbers made some fresh Ciabatta style bread that was absolutely delicious, so much so that I decided to stuff my face with that for breakfast and forego porridge. You had to marvel at the dedication shown by the two chefs who made the most of the minimal cooking facilities at their disposal. We left camp at the earlier time and headed towards Chgaga, the big range of dunes that lay before us. It took about half an hour to get there and we stopped to take photos and take on some more water before the climbing began. As we began climbing, it became more noticeable how we would reach the top of the dune. Until now, we had assumed that the route to the summit would be one long, straight gradient. This was not the case however and the initial climb was very gradual and involved turning a couple of corners. The last part involved a straight climb to the top and for this we first stopped for a quick snack and drink of water then Ken instructed us that we would walk in single file and the slower-paced walkers would be at the front so that we could all reach the summit together instead of say, a handful of walkers getting there way before everyone else. We proceeded to climb in single file, pausing every now and then for those up front who needed to take it in their own time. I found that it helped if I used the footprint left behind by whoever was in front of me, as it was deep enough for it to create a staircase effect, which aided climbing. Then suddenly that was it, we had reached the top and it was far easier than I could have ever anticipated. We took in the views which were magnificent and each had a moment to ourselves as we reflected why it was we wanted to be part of this trek and all that we'd done to get this far - the result of a year's worth of planning, training and fundraising. We also posed for the group photo that we had planned on having, whilst holding the Cancer Research banners. Ken, Victoria & Lahcen took the photos whilst we stood or sat there, wearing also the Pink Fund/Cancer Research t-shirts. The descent from the dune however was to be one of the funniest moments of the week. Ken took us to the edge of the descent. The choice was then up to us, we could run down the slope or slide down on our backsides. Most of us decided on the latter as we made our way down this massive sand slide. It has to be said that it seemed a lot harder work than going up it, as unless you decide to roll down it then gravity doesn't come into it. What I did was use my walking sticks (I had shortened them) and row my way down. This was quite tiring on the arms after a while and in the end decided to use my legs and feet to kick my way down, thus generating a tidal wave of sand between my legs! It was great fun despite accumulating a pile of sand in my boots, which I emptied out. Lahcen & Cliff decided they wanted to go down again, so we waited for them to climb back up and then down again.

Sheila, Hokey Cokey Blokey 'rubbing' my shoulders is a bit of an understatement, it felt more like ritualistic torture lol.

Won't be too much longer with the photos, hopefully should have them all sorted out by tonight, and I'll give out the addy either tonight or tomorrow morning, depending on when I get done. Thursday was ace, more so the morning than the afternoon. I'd give anything to go back and descend down the Chgaga sand slide again. I really wish now I'd climbed back up with Cliff and Lahcen (he was a top bloke) and gone down again. :-))

Are there any photos yet?? The descriptions make you want to see the places. x

Oh guys it seems I missed the best bits!! And i'd give anything to have been there!! xx

this is a really enjoyable read. You all have my admiration and envy, it is great that you had such a good time while raising so much money. veryw ell done all of you. Ann Glos