Day Two - I cant really say I woke up on day two as it felt like I never even got to sleep. Initially I could not get to sleep as the people in the tents on either side on me managed to get to sleep quickly with the aid of some alcohol and within minutes I had snoring in stereo on either side of me. Added to this the previous day had been very hot and sunny and without a hat or sun screen I think I was suffering from sun-stroke as I was very warm in my sleeping bag but suffering from violent shivering but at the same time sweating and if this was not bad enough during the night I also suffered from cramp which would not normally be a problem but in a sleeping bag in a small tent it is very difficult to get rid of and as I was so hot I was sleeping naked and did not think the other campers would appreciate a naked Welshman jumping about on one foot around the campsite. As a result I was very glad to have breakfast and was eager to get walking again after strapping up my blisters from the previous day and I knew it was going to be painful but I was not going to let that stop me.

I set off with the speedsters, Derek, Blair and Doug but it soon became obvious that I was going to have difficulty keeping up. Before I dropped back I was treated to a moment of pure comedy when we foolishly listened to others about whichroute to take and headed into the forest instead of keeping to the main path. We kept heading deeper into the forest with the path disappearing quickly when we realised we had gone wrong and decided to head back to where we had left the trail only to find that a few dozen people had followed us as they thought we knew where we were going. Not wanting to slow down we head back to wards the path but again foolishly listened to someone who said we had been heading in the right direction so we again turned about and headed back into the forest only for the person who had promised we should go in that direction to admit he had got it wrong again so again we headed back towards the path to find even more people following us. It was a scene that would have been extremely funny for a old silent film as did not need words to express anything as everyones facial expressions said a lot more.

The easy walking for me came to an end when I reached Conic Hill as I found the climb very tough and slow but rewarded myself with a long rest, drink and food when I got to the top and was feeling much better when Jim, Nick (and Bella) and Jamie caught up with me at the top. Jim and Nick headed on and Jamie and I descended to Balmaha where we joined the others in The Oak Tree Inn where everyone decided to have a drink (or two) before the final few miles to the campsite. The descent was not pleasant and the blisters were playing up and this was not helped by some of the so-called "steps" that were put in order to assist walkers. Some of the steps were so large that you needed a step ladder to get up them or a rope ladder to get down them. I have fairly long legs and I struggled so I dont know how women, children and short-legged people would cope.