Mountain #2
Posted: June 19th, 2008 under 30 Mountains Challenge.
Oh boy. This was painful.
The contusions from yesterday are hurting, especially one hip and the hands, which made it difficult to climb. My sunburn’s hurting too, and my feet are hurting, and most of all my knees are hurting.
I’m worried about my right knee. The left one hurts only when I walk downhill, but the right one began hurting ten minutes after I left this morning and did not stop all day long. It’s still hurting now.
I had to take a break every time it got too painful. Oddly enough it took me only ten minutes more than yesterday to walk up despite of all these breaks, which means that I must have walked faster. Yet I felt like I was walking very slowly and struggling a lot.
On my way back, I intentionally walked carefully, making only smooth small steps, in order to protect my knees. It took me half an hour more than yesterday, logically.
Looks like the knees will be my weakest point during this trial…
Except for the pain in various body parts, everything’s fine. It’s interesting that the more I walk, the better I feel. In the morning I was tired, but when I came back, I was totally fit and energized, and was able to work and be active till midnight.
It’s also interesting that I need almost no food and water while I’m walking. The last times I did it, when I was on cooked foods, I had to take two bottles of water and several sandwiches in order to feel good. This time half a bottle of water and three apples were enough. I just wasn’t hungry or thirsty. And that despite of the big burning sun.
Here the facts for today:
Weather: even warmer than yesterday. Very sunny, blue sky, not one cloud in sight, no wind. I was wearing a hat today, that was a good idea. I got a new sunburn all the same, on the arms.
Walking up: 3 hours 50 minutes.
Walking down: 2 hours 45 minutes.
Summit break: 30 minutes.
Total walking time: 6 hours 35 minutes.
Sleep: 6 hours.
Food:
- before leaving: two plateful lettuce and two peaches
- while walking up: an apple
- while walking down: another apple
- while walking down, about an hour later: a third apple
- about two hours after arriving: two tomatoes with a handful olives, then a spoonful raw tahini. Yuck! this didn’t taste good. So I went to the garden and ate a handful peas there and two handful cherries directly from the tree.
- during the evening: I had no time to sit down and eat, so I grazed on what was around, mostly fruit.
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