Before. After.

I don’t even know how to sum up today. It was certainly an experience! Hard, muddy, exhausting, muddy, hilly, muddy, brilliant, muddy.

The first 10 miles were absolutely brutal. From Craven Arms up to Flounders folly was pure mud, slipping and sliding all over the place, grabbing onto trees up the steep bits. The Wenlock Edge wasn’t much better and coming off it we were wading through muddy streams. I thought, at that point, that Ėva would never talk to me again. By this point we were mentally and physically exhausted but had barely begun. Getting up and down the Ragleth felt like a massive achievement. Sausage and cheese at the first food stop was immense.

Things got better once we were on more familiar territory of the Mynd, up through Ashes Hollow and Pole Bank. Still really slow going but far less mud. Downhill all the way to the gliding club for Fidget Pie which was easily one of the best things I’ve ever eaten.

The final 10 miles got muddy again and Wart Hill was tough, but we did it! Scraped by in under 8 hours.

And having now been home, showered, eaten etc it’s hard to think that our friends who are walking the 80km are still out there, probably until about 4am!!