WOHOO!!!!

Update 19/09/2008 - WOOHOO!!! I reached Cap de Creus and finished the trek at around 4.45 yesterday, 18/09/2008. Arriving in 44 days. I am currently in Port De La Selva and plan to spent the next couple of days chilling out and recouperating on the beech here before getting a train from Figueras on the 21st.The last few days have been the toughest of all. A few days ago when I reahed the castle of Requesens I found all the water sourses to be dry or poluted. I had already walked 16 miles but I knew that if I pressed on to the next fountain 6 miles away, I could do do the rest of that day and the next in one more day and be on track to complete the trek in 44 days, the traditional target. And so I pressed on. I was out of water. As I walked it got dark. I carried on as it was a full moon and a nice walm night to walk in. Soon I heard gunfire coming from a distance ahead of me. It was far away so I wasn´t worried, probably hunters. When I reached the next well, it was dry as well. I was very thirsty by this point. The next well was a few miles so I carried on. The gunfire now got pretty close and was coming from a farm I had to pass. When I did pass it, two enourmous dogs came out and ran after me barking. I didn´t want to attrack the attention of the hunters so I made a swift exit, soon I lost the dogs and reached the next fountain. It was dry as well! This wasn´t good. I had already walked half of the next day, the next water point wasn´t until the end of the section, 8 miles away. I pressed on with aching feet but as I walked down a small track, I found a huge angry dog blocking my path which went strait for me barking! I was forced to turn back and it didn´t follow me too far. Looking at the map, there was a town 2 km to the south and so I headed there. There could be a water point. Every farm I wallked past had large dogs which went mad as I passed but soon I got there. The town was full of dogs again which began barking as I entered the town and to avoid waking every one up I had to pass by. I carried on, taking a different route towards the end of the section where I knew I could find water while the night seemed alive with gunfire and wild dogs!Eventually I reched the town at the end of the setion at 4am. There I found a water point having walked 32 miles, 16 with no water. To tired to look for a place for my tent I got a few hours sleep in a bus shelter. I was woken by a landrover pulling up across the road at 6.30am. A man got out, produced a shotgun from the back seat and pointed it right at me! He hadn´t seen me but was trying to unload the gun. I struggled for a few seconds to find the right words in spanish but eventually came up with "OI!!" He looked at me and laughed before pointing the gun in another direction. That was enought rest for me and I carried on into the next day. I just wanted to rech the coast so badly, I didn´t care how exhorsted I was or how much my feet hurt. I made it to El Port De La Selva eventually and booked in at the first campsite I found, there I slept for 10 hours. the next day, yesteray, I got up, took only what I needed for the day and limped on for Cap De Creus, 10 miles to the east. Eventually I made it but knowing that I had a 10 mile walk back in the dark made it a bit of an anticlimax. I was to tired to be releaved or happy. eventually I got back to the campsite at midnight and sleptuntil 8. Today I feel alot better and have spent the day skimming stones on the beach. I can´t really explain how I feel. I can´t believe that I have really walked 500 miles across the mountains, from one coast to the other, the idea just seems laughable. I feel releaved that I have not let anyone who supported and sponsored me down. I feel a bit sad that all the preperation, the planning and the walking is over, at the same time I feel happy that I will soon see the people I love again. I can´t wait for that.
Thank you to everyone who has followed this blog, believed in me, supported and sponsored me. I hope to see you all again soon, and that lovely rainy town of Sheffield.

Update 14/09/2008: I am now in Albanya on day 41 of the trek and today, from a mountain top, I got my first glimps of the Med. The excitement has spurred me on and I just can´t wait to reach the end. Yesterday I walked all day through a deserted and forested region where every house village and church was overgrown and in ruin. Eventually I arrived at the abandoned monestry of Sant Aniol where I spent the night. It was a full moon and with animals scurrying up to the tent all night, it was a very spooky experiance. The weather has been bad with rain and heavy storms every day. It is rarely warm long enough to dry clothes properly. The nights are cold too and waking up shivering and having to put on a damp t-shirt is not a nice experiance. Still, I cannot believe I have come this far or that I have only 5 days to go. I just can´t wait to reach the end and home again.I hope I will be able to reintergrate back into society ok and that my family and friends remember who I am. I have lost 4 inches around the waist and grown a fair bit of hair. I miss everyone very much and can´t wait to see you all soon.

Sorry for the lack of updates

I´ve been updating on facebook but have only managed to get online for a limited period twice since I´ve been here. To summerise, here we go.

Hello to everyone! This is the first chance I have had to update since arriving in Irun on 04/08/2008. I am now in Ochagavia, a very beautiful little town on day 7 of the trek. To sum up everything that has happened so far... On the night before starting the trek, at the campsite Higer in Irun a drunk Frenchman fell over my tent breaking the pole, after an argument which neither of us understood he ran away leaving me to find a new tent the next day. I set out early but it was 2 pm before I had found a replacement, however it is much better quality and up to the task at hand. Due to this delay I was late setting out to Vera. Halfway I was caught in the biggest storm I have ever seen and pelted with halestones the size of golfballs. It got dark I had to bed down in a field which quickly flooded soaking me and the new tent.After a night cowering in the porch of my tent, I pressed on through Vera and out the other side to wild camp up on the hill. After another night of thunder and rain I pressed on again. I walked 4 miles in 2 hours before passing a couple I had seen in Vera who pointed out that I was heading in the opposite direction! I realised they were right when I passed my campsite. How I managed the massive 4 mile circle, I will never know! So far I was quite exhosted and things had not been going well. I quickly caught up with them and we got talking, their names are Anna and Xerra and we have trekked together since, they are doing the GR11 for the next 2 weeks, so I now have walking buddies and since meeting them my luck has turned completly. That night we met 6 other people doing the GR11 and went for a sabatha in Elisondo.Two nights ago we met an Irishman, John, A Canadian, Rebecca, and a Swissman, Micheal who were on the Pilgrimage from Santiago. We went for dinner and had a great time. Last night we found our selves in a very small farming village with one hostal which was not fit for human habbitation. After finding cat poo in the beds and a heated argument between Anna, Xerra and the hillbillies renting it out we elected to leave and find somewhere else to sleep. 5 other people who were staying there, including a 65 year old man coming the other way, having already completed 40 days of the GR11, rallied behind us and everyone walked out. Someone had seen a sports hall next to the village church with the door ajar and we invaded, setting up camp right inside and even hanging a washing line in the courtyard to stake our claim! The villagers didn´t seem to mind and I got a great nights sleep. Tonight we are camping in a proper campsite for the first time with showers and everything!The walk has been very tough physically and required a real effort from mind and body but things are getting easier and today we were amazed at the progress we have already made. 7 days down and 39 to go. Only two blisters so far and no injuries to speak of. I hope that everyone there is well, I think of you every day and I look forward to a massive get together when I return. The beard is coming on well. I will update again as soon as I can.Update 31/08/08 - I am now in La Guinguetta in Catalunya Day 26 of the Trek. I am on my own now as Ana and Xavi finished on day 15, and Jordi has gone climbing with a friend.The last few days have been tough and tomorrow is due to be the toughest of them all with a 1200 meter asent over just 5 km, however I am well past half way and nearing Andorra. My knees, back and feet are holding out and today I am totally blister free for the first time since i began. The highlight of the past few days has been meeting a Siberian man who has been living in a mountain hut here for a year.Update - I am now in Puigcerda having completed day 35 of the trek. Just 11 more to go! I cannot believe I am still going or that the journy is begining to near its end as I am now out of the high mountains. Coming down to the flat valley today was an incredable experiance, I have not seen flat ground or fields for over a month. Hopfully it should be all down hill from here on and pretty flat after day 40.The weather is also begining to come down as early Autum sets in here. They say the seasons do change very quickly here and I have seen this to be true. I have already experianced sub zero temperatures at night. I miss everybody back home greatly and thankyou all for following my trek so far. I cannot wait to get home to beer, friends, pizza, icecream, TV, computer games and everything else I used to take for granted. All I have to do now is just keep going and remember that every step brings me closer to home. I should finish around the 18th and hope to be back in Sheffield for the 25th. See you all soon.