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| Crossing Complete!!! |
We are currently on a train headed to Oban, back on the west coast for a few days of fun and relaxation. We were pretty busy yesterday after finishing, and by the time we got settled for the night I was too tired to write the final day’s post.
The walk yesterday was all business. We had about 22 km to do, and at about kilometre 10 the rain started pouring down, and sideways!! There was not much discussion from that point on, and no point in taking breaks so we just kept walking. Despite the weather, the agricultural landscape was still on display, and was very picturesque. I am sure we were all patiently counting down the kilometres, willing the coast to suddenly appear, and after a little more than four hours it did. As we walked up the final hill approaching the church in St. Cyrus , the bells rang out twelve times - four for each of us about to finish the crossing…. Or maybe it was just because it was noon.ðĪĢ
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| St. Cyrus Church (BJJ) |
We continued past the church with the North Sea finally in sight, and made our way to the top of the cliffs, which would be our last obstacle to negotiate. The view from the top of the cliffs down to the beach was stunning.
We dipped our feet into the North Sea, had a short moment of celebration, and then started making our way to Montrose where we would officially sign back in. It was a short bus ride to Montrose, but I think we all enjoyed the trip. Seeing the countryside go by at bus speed instead of foot speed was a nice change. The rocking motion of the bus was also very relaxing.
We got a very warm reception when we walked in to Challenge Control. It was almost as if they were waiting specifiacally for us. Lots of congratulations, handshakes, and high fives. Sam was treated like a mini-celebrity, being the youngest to finish the crossing, possibly the youngest ever. The volunteers do a really good job running the challenge, and deserve a lot of credit for helping us all stay safe and have a constant point of contact in case of emergencies.
With all of the formalities completed, we headed to our hotel to check in, wash up, and rest before the banquet. I ran out to the laundrette to do our laundry, as well as collect our train tickets for today, and pick up a few groceries. By the time I got back I had just enough time to lay down for an hour before heading out to the banquet.
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| The End In Sight |
As we descended the final path onto the beach I felt the mood lighten, the spirits lift, and I started to get a little emotional. I was wishing that Mandy and Ty were here with us, and at the same time I was so happy that Ben, Sam, and I were able to do this together. This crossing has been a physical and mental test for me, and finishing it brought feelings of relief, accomplishment, and happiness.ð
We dipped our feet into the North Sea, had a short moment of celebration, and then started making our way to Montrose where we would officially sign back in. It was a short bus ride to Montrose, but I think we all enjoyed the trip. Seeing the countryside go by at bus speed instead of foot speed was a nice change. The rocking motion of the bus was also very relaxing.
We got a very warm reception when we walked in to Challenge Control. It was almost as if they were waiting specifiacally for us. Lots of congratulations, handshakes, and high fives. Sam was treated like a mini-celebrity, being the youngest to finish the crossing, possibly the youngest ever. The volunteers do a really good job running the challenge, and deserve a lot of credit for helping us all stay safe and have a constant point of contact in case of emergencies.
With all of the formalities completed, we headed to our hotel to check in, wash up, and rest before the banquet. I ran out to the laundrette to do our laundry, as well as collect our train tickets for today, and pick up a few groceries. By the time I got back I had just enough time to lay down for an hour before heading out to the banquet.
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| Scottish Laundrette ðĪĢ |
We headed over an hour early to meet everybody at the bar and mingle. Dinner was excellent, and the organizers made it very interesting, sharing facts from the crossing, announcing the 10/20/30 year crossing challengers, and making a big fuss about Sam being the youngest crosser.ð We sat with Jayme (10th crossing this year), Pietr, and Mario, who Amanda and I met in 2022, and shared Indian dinner with in Montrose. This is one of the great thing about the Challenge - friends you meet only once or twice in the middle of nowhere are still your friends when you get to see them a few years later, without even being in touch in between!
After dinner we headed back to our room, packed up for our train trip to Oban today, and watched a little TV before crashing.
I think we’ll make one more post in a few days to wrap things up and give a few final thoughts. Thanks everybody for following the blog, it has meant so much to us these past two weeks. We have felt the virtual support, and it really helped us accomplish what we were trying to do!
After dinner we headed back to our room, packed up for our train trip to Oban today, and watched a little TV before crashing.
I think we’ll make one more post in a few days to wrap things up and give a few final thoughts. Thanks everybody for following the blog, it has meant so much to us these past two weeks. We have felt the virtual support, and it really helped us accomplish what we were trying to do!
Health Update - Sam woke up still a little nauseous, and decided to skip breakfast (sausage rolls ðĪŠ). He had to dig deep to complete the walk but was able to keep up. After we finished he grabbed a light lunch (tuna baguette, and potato soup) and I would say his appetite and demeanour are now both back to normal!! ð
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| Ben Catching Up On Some Well-Earned Rest |
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| Sam Doing The Same |
To be fair, I looked exactly the same about thirty minutes ago…ð
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| Day 14 Route - 21.7 km, 232 m ascent |
Wow! Congratulations Sam, Ben and JM! I thoroughly enjoyed following your rocket-shoe adventures through sideways wind and rain from the comfort of home. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mr. Taxi!! It means a lot that you followed along. I've mentioned it before, but I truly owe you and your dad for taking me to Jasper and Robson back in high school, and introducing backpacking and the mountains to me!!
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