Day 2: Written by Loraine Dalton

Sleeping on a dirt floor with bits is not my idea of fun; especially you should know I was the princess in the Prince and the pea. The sleep was not sound. Can you believe it people snored, and have you ever been in close proximity to six others it’s strange (especially if its not and orgy).Joke no I have never been to an orgy…

Any way I woke up and I made my self Tea, no milk I was just happy to get tea. Hurry Hurry, again have you ever tried to put a sleeping bag back into its cover, or sleeping bag into your back pack, well let me tell you I am just glad I did not have nice nails because they would have broken. What strength I did have left was taken doing only that, hey but put your fake happy face on Yippee more walking on a side of a cliff that has two hundred feet down to your death.

Yes I know I told you my balance was put off by the 16kg I had on my back, it was a very small path way to walk on. So you carried on. We set off at eight, we got up at five, anyway around 10am I am lying about the time, ish Lea who was not feeling too good, she had picked up a bug on the first day poor cow Was left with the back packs and the porters on the mountain, the four other girls and Colin and Gavin started again to walk for another one and half hours, unfortunately I was not fast enough for our boot camp master, and when we eventually got to outer horn he said to me “can you climb that” well I took one look at it and thought no I can’t, I had to go down the mountain again and up it for what, I was exhausted, I was scared and I really did think I could die an minute with a wrong step. I said to him can I he said no. So I said “well I stay here then: So he said “sit there don’t move”, so I said “cant I go back to Lea”, “oh no because if you fall we will never find you”, obviously that made me feel a whole lot better, Now I am petrified my fears are the truth he just told me. I sat in the heat the wind, I contemplated falling because then I would not have to go up or down again, it really seemed like a good idea, time ticked on no one came, I tried to go some where but I was frightened I would fall, why did they say anything,

At one thirty, the five return poor Michelle and Vivien walked for another 1 hour only to realize that Gavin had a death wish for them and wanted them to jump across a five foot path way with no ropes, yes it could be done Gavin Colin and Belinda did it, but Vivien thought about her children and what it would be like for them not to have a mum, and decided it was not worth it, and Michelle being the team player decided to be a friend and stay with her. Gavin Colin and Belinda summated and came down picked them up and picked me up, what did I think thank god I did not walk another hour.

On to the next cave, we really tried to walk as fast as we could, the thought of walking in the dark was in my mind hey but don’t worry Gavin and Colin still run on a head there were no really death defying acts so they left us. We got to the cave around five (maybe a bit later maybe not) anyway the cave was more of an over hang 15meters long and two meter or three meters wide. On one end people had collected stones and made a wall around the area it would only sleep four five at a push, It was by far the five star accommodation in this cave, and guess what Belinda had got there first and put her bag down because obviously the girls were going to sleep in there Hey she thought wrong Gavin & Colin got there second third and put they stuff in the five star cave and guess what us girls got the two star No wind break no flat floor it was awful  but did we say something, no!

We change into our thermals put most of our clothes back on get into our sleeping bags and try to go to sleep the wind blows, I am not kidding it must have been Gale force the noise was deafening and it was freezing, and scary. Without exaggeration the wind puff up our sleeping bags and could have floated us down the mountain, I was actually praying it would as long as we landed safely quicker way down.

I know what your thinking why did you not stop, Well there is only one way down and you have to do it, and I was not going on my own, and remember really I am a team player, they weren’t quitting so if they could do it so could I.

I must tell you this, every night and morning I made the girls pray, pray to keep us safe pray for good weather pray for strength and God never let us down.

God gave me the strength to carry on, not to cry, actually I cried every time we had to go down, and he sent me flower that grew wild to let me know he cared.

He really loves me and obviously every one on that mountain as we all came down safely, but the experience has made me feel worthy,

I don’t know why he loves me, , but I believe he did not kill me because there is a bigger purpose to my life, maybe because I make people laugh or maybe I still have to be a mum to my kids who would not fair so well without the love I wish for them every day. I just know he could have killed me and he did not and when I wake up I feel happier because he loves me enough to show he cares.

Sorry I gotten mushy but I want you to know I feel different.