Well, team "Grumbler's Stumblers" have all checked in for tomorrow's Oxfam Trailtrekker. The process wasnt perfect, but we got there in the end. Clearly, Oxfam isn't run by that disagreeable leprechaun that fashioned Ryanair out of his own greed and bile, otherwise there'd have been an online checkin, and we would have had to pay to check in at the event itself. Perhaps more worrying is the fact that the support team is carrying two bags for each of us. Patrick O'Bastard or whatever his name is would have charged us fifty quid each for that. So we're a couple of hundred quid up already. Plus, we only have to walk sixty miles tomorrow, which is less than if we'd caught a Ryanair plane to one of its city centre destinations.
We've had an exciting safety briefing, which has listed the number of places we need to feed, water, lubricate or strap up over the next twenty four hours. Unfortunately, as we were encouraged to applaud everyone who's had the slightest input to this event during the half hour presentation, I think i now have a stress fracture of the wrist.
We have also enjoyed the "pasta party". This was not, as you might suspect, an Italian political alternative to Silvio Bugngabungascone but rather an opportunity to carbohydrate load and hobnob with fellow Trekkers. A year ago, I simply wouldn't have eaten pasta, but then a year ago I wouldn't have done this walk either, so that's ok. I've trained myself to consume a foodstuff I previously consider to be a building material, but I'm still a bit fussy. I can't get over the feeling that I've just eaten a plate of boiled rawlplugs with mince on. Anyway there was a nice pint of beer served up by what appeared to be twin blonde barmaids, who, we learned, will also be at checkpoint three in the early hours of Sunday morning. Mrs Grumbler has nothing to fear, at that point, the only things I'll be remotely interested in are soup, ibuprofen, and possibly a distant bacon sandwich.
We will be taking pictures on the way round, and you can follow us live on the Trailtrekker pages here. Remember, Grumbler's Stumblers, Paul is 20a, Martin r is 20b, Martin b is 20c and Lancy is 20d.
Well tweet (#ttrek2012) if and when we can, but more blog early next week.
Jolly good show chaps! Or should that be 'awesome show'? Just to irritate you with my new found American enthusiasm for all things. Of course over here, it would have not involved something so pedestrian as walking. It would have involved noisy vehicles burning copious amounts of petrol and tearing up the countryside, cos you know, we have plenty of it.
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