Our Trek Day 3

Monday 22nd April 2013

Okay so slept a little better last night, think I was too tired to care!

So today was mainly up and down the valley's, not so much climbing as yesterday, it was such a lovely day a very varied path and again challenging in places. The amount of support from other people is amazing, everyone helping each other, over the tricky parts, some were quite scary, we are still in one piece though :-), we walked over a few ridges this morning some were quite wide, but still scary and nerve wrecking.

Again the ground staff were fantastic, they have lunch ready for us when we get to our stop, anyone for rice and pasta :-)

Have to say today was fantastic, its been a really good day and I feel good!!! our kind of walking and back at camp quite handy. With what we thought was Lamb for dinner but I'm afraid it was goat oh well suppose its better than the horse we've been eating back home.

Early night tonight, lets see what tomorrow brings :-)

Our Trek Day 2

Sunday 21st April 2013

I didn't sleep too well last night, it was to dark. I now know I have a fear of total darkness! I kept imaging thing, and could hear either dogs or wolves howling for most of the night. So I felt soooo tired this morning.

Breakfast today was cheese, cakes and eggs and terrible tasting coffee, but the Bedouin tea is very refreshing and is meant to give you energy so a couple of cups were drunk.

We knew today was going to be one of the toughest days, after breakfast we had a 4 hour hike to the beginning of our climb. On the way we passed a brand new Bedouin school, it looked so strange this brand new building in the middle of the desert. We had an early lunch, it was all set up ready and waiting for us, rice and pasta again good job I like them :-)

After lunch was the start of our climb, here is where we enter the Black Mountains, this is the part I had been dreading for so long, now I was at the point of no return I had to do it! we were originally meant to follow the Jeep trail, but there had been bad weather a few weeks before and some of the roads had been damaged. So the route had to be changed we were now going to follow the Goat Trail.

Off we go, climbing, it was sooo steep, the group started to split as people were struggling. at one point we were on our own, I was beginning to get a bit panicky in case we got lost. We decided to just stay put and wait for someone to catch up with us, eventually they did and luckily enough there was  guide with them. The limb went on forever, it was a zig-zagged steep incline, but the scenery was just out of this world, I don't think I have ever seen anything as beautiful.

After approx. 7 hours of climbing, we came to where our camp should have been, and guess what there was nothing there!!! one of the guides climbed up onto a huge rock, and was making lots of different noises, sending signals, the next thing is mobile was ringing, again you just wouldn't expect that in the desert. For some reason they had to move the camp, we were told it was another 1.5 hour hike away, I really didn't think I could walk another inch never mind another hour and a half. But we had no choice, so off we set again :-( at this point I was thinking if its going be like this everyday there is no why I can do it. As we climbed over the next slope, there was a group of people waiting at the bottom, they were waiting for jeeps to come and get them, as apparently it was much more than 1.5 hours away. This 2nd day we were meant to walk 17k we had now done 22k and climbed not far off 4000feet. Not bad going hey :-)

We eventually got into a jeep, huddled in like cattle it was beginning to get dark, the roads were very steep and narrow, that was the scariest ride ever! I was beginning to wish I had walked!!

Finally back at camp, fed and watered and ready for bed, lets see what tomorrow brings.

Our Trek Day 1

Saturday 20th April 2013.

So we were up for 7am! Clive was eager to go in the Dead Sea, its a 5 minute walk from the hotel, me I am  a big wuss when it comes to water, I took the pics.

After it was breakfast, showered and day back pack packed ready for the off. We had a group meeting first, to explain what we were going to be doing and the kind of things to expect, then it was lunch and at 1.30pm the coaches arrived to take us to our starting point, oh shit here we go :-/

Once at the starting point we had a 2.5 hour hike to our first overnight camp, this is when I had to have my first call of nature, I found myself sharing a bush with another lady, its okay for men they can just stand up its a little more complicated for a woman.

Already we have seen some spectacular views, we saw Bedouins tents, they have started to build brick houses, but they are so attached to their tents, they cannot bring themselves to live in them, so they stay in the tents and their livestock live in the houses.

When we got to our first Camp, we were pleasantly surprised, it was very basic yes. There were 3 tents, 1 big one and 2 smaller ones. We were given a mattress and then had to choose somewhere to sleep.

Then there was dinner, again it was very basic, rice, pasta, chicken and salad. We had our own chef, who goes to the camp before us and prepares food. There is also a little bar, yes a bar a local man brings cans of col lager, coke, Fanta, crisps and snickers :-) at a cost of course.

There is also a generator so we have lights till 10pm, so I'm off to my bed it going be a long day tomorrow.

Departure Day

Friday 19th April 2013

So the day is finally here departure day! we are both feeling very calm. This I wasn't expecting, while waiting at the airport we met some lovely people already, their own story to tell, their own reasons why they are doing this.

Everything went smoothly, from check in to boarding and taking off, the flight was about 4 and half hours, it was gone 2 in the morning when we arrived at our hotel by the Dead Sea, very tired and well and truly ready for bed.

Tomorrow the adventure starts :-)