Stage 1

Well that's stage 1 done and dusted - apart from perhaps another swim in the river. It was tough with ridiculous inclines and declines (many of which were very slippy) , swamps and one roped-river crossing.. oh and a stomach deep crossing right at the start – where I lost my flip flops.

My feet are still in good shape but shoulders are pretty sore from the heavy pack which wont have been facilitated by my carrying an extra kg of spare food – hey ho. On the bright side I saw a couple of humming birds at very close quarters.

Tomorrow stage 2 is supposed to be one of the toughest and is described by the organizers as follows:

"Mud, mud and more mud, Your feet will be soaked. In addition to aching quads (JQ: they´re very achy already thanks!) your calves will begin to throb. Expect to be covered in ticks thanks to the swamp crossing!"

In 24.9km we will have 16 ascents of note, 12 descents, one zip wire across a creak and 3 swamps. (one totally hideous). I was a little worried to have a very 'upset stomach' last night but fortunately there is no further news on that front. Hope you are all well – Im off to check for ticks