Firstly, I apologies for not writing earlier but it has been a rather full couple of days so here it goes....

Stage 4:

This was billed to be the hardest stage of the Gobi March......for very good reasons. It was the hardest thing I have done both mentally and physically.

The day started as per normal with us leaving at 8:00 am and remember, as I have pointed out previously, I have a MAJOR dislike for heights. The first thing we did was to go straight up hill to around 3,000 meters to a place called Heaven`s Gate. We both suffered a little with altitude issues. The journey consisted of roads, a series of 12 wooden and metal ladders and a finally up hill scramble to the top. Apparently the view was terrific. I can't wait to see Luba's photos to see what it was like!

But then it all changed. .

Between check points 1 and 2 there are a series of hills ranging from (I estimate) 100 meters to 400 meters. These climbs were very vertical and were always followed by a very steep decline. Often we would traverse one peek to another across a narrow ridge barely wide enough to accommodate a foot and drastic drops on either side. Combine trying to scale these 7 huge obstacles in temperatures in the upper 30s. No shade. Limited water. I really had to scrape every last bit of energy from the bottom of the bucket!

Between sections 2 and 3 things start to get easier with only an additional 3 hills to scale. One of these included crossing a peek where there was no real ledge or clear path. I was literally hugging the mountain and, with the encouragement of a fellow competitor, managed to shuffle my body around. No matter how much easier the section, on paper, might have been it was just so hard due to the physical and mental energy already expelled.

I finished the stage around 9:00 pm and Luba came in around 45 minutes later, delayed as she was helping a fellow competitor with the same issue with heights as I have. A long day.

Stage 5:

The Long Day, a 50 miles journey through the Gobi and a section that Luba and I decided to do together.

We were still fatigued from the previous day's activities but we still needed to leave the camps by 6:45 in the morning when we got bussed to another location for a 10:00 am start. I am still a little confused about why we did that.

The day started of in a similar fashion to the previous day going up a number of high hills. Luckily nowhere as many as the previous day and not quite as high. After check point 1 the fun started....firstly the dust storm then the rains. Very nice.

We reached half way point around 7:00 pm which was good timing. Unfortunately 2 of the guys that we were traveling with got very hurt and slowed our progress down in a big way. After a 45 minute stop for food at check point 5 we didn't leave until 11:45 pm and it was total night.

Traveling in the desert at night is the most incredible feeling. The sky is indescribably beautifully and will remain imprinted on our minds for many months.

In the end Luba and I crossed the line at exactly 6:00 am. 50 miles 20 hours.....and now food and bed. Thank you the Colin and Tristan for their help and company.

Tomorrow is the final day, 15 km, no problem. Then beer, shower and food. In that order.

Day 3 is complete…..that was hard! The first stage to check point one was quite easy. It was a quick 10K through the local village. It was great to see all the locals out waving at us, or they were wondering what all these stupid idiots were doing!

As the second section started it got interesting, it was generally uphill but what made it particularly difficult was that it was going along the side of a mountain. Not only did we have to negotiate the slope but there were also countless flood drainage channels that we had to go up and down. Many of those channels were very steep both going down and coming up the other side.

The third section’s biggest feature was the multiple valleys we had to go up and down, sometimes on all fours, or sliding down on my backside. Very nice as part of the skill was avoiding the many spiked bushes that were always in your direct path. The end of the section featured a near horizontal drop to the check point. For those of you who know me know how I am not a fan of heights…….

The last section was a 8K trek up hill to 2,500 meters. Towards the end of the distance I was feeling the early effects of the altitude, bigger breaths and lethargy.

Through the day both Luba and I had different partners. Luba with an Aussie called Sarah who has a similar problem with heights as I do so Luba help her overcome her obstacles. I we travelling with my Grandfather Geoff who gave me the encouragement to keep going.

Tonight will be cold. At this elevation it will be our coldest night!

Tomorrow is advertised as the hardest day of the race and will be going above 3,000 meters.

Talk tomorrow………

Luba and Nigel

Day 2 completed for both Luba and I. It was a tough terrain with many 20 meter hills to go up and down. If anybody thinks that is easy, forget it. Many of the inclines and declines were very steep and the ground very loose. A couple of time I just slid down on my backside and climbed on hands and knees! Very slow progress. Most of the other areas had lots of loose rocks where it is hard to get up any speed for an amateur like ourselves.

After all said and done, we both completed the stage. I found it significantly harder than Luba who had been right all along with her training program. I am going to be aching a lot tomorrow!!!

The weather here is hot, I think in the upper 30s (Celsius) at the hottest part of the day. What is strange about China is that the whole country works on Beijing time. In reality there should be a 3 hour time difference. This is making the mornings quite dark and the days very long, even at 10:00 it if fully daylight, this makes sleeping a challenge.

Tomorrow is going to be lots of fun. The course is basically uphill for 40K (~24 miles), I am sure my legs will be shot!!!!

Talk tomorrow.

Nigel and Luba

Both Luba and I have completed the first day. It was so very different to the Sahara in the terrain, location and weather.

Last night we had our first night the tent. We were lucky that out of the 10 people we already knew 6 so it was a bit of a reunion.Then later that evening the lesser enjoyable parts of tent living re-emerged. By that I mean the volume of the snoring, in particular one guy from South Africa who, I can only assume, has a second job as an air raid warning system......for the whole country.

I would estimate the temperature to be in the low 40s Celsius, so not too bad. The landscape was amazing, everything from the desert we were walking in, to the snow capped mountains in the distance. The desert its self was very rocky, so speeds were definitely slower to protect the ankles. Although the stage was not overly difficult the first day is always hard as the packs are at the heaviest and the muscles are just not used to the efforts. Very sore shoulders! As part of the course we had, what was described as a water crossing. It was not just a river, it was a flood delta which was very technical to cross. I would say that "river crossing" took nearly 45 minutes to cross!

One quick shout out to my cousin who, without her help, would mean I would be listening to the same songs I have had on my MP3 player for the past 3 months. Alison you are an angel!

Tonight we are staying in a village which is really nice, but the toilets are still holes in the ground (next to the cows) and no beds!

Tomorrow`s course looks challenging. Our elevation increases around 2,000 meters.

Talk tomorrow.....

Nigel and Luba

This afternoon we took a trip to the start of the race, a journey of about 3 hours through various terrains including cities and general landscapes. The last 45 minutes though, was along very narrow roads on the edge of cliffs. This did not make Luba happy as she was sat on the side of the bus that was overlooking a terrifying drop with less than a meter on the road spare. Photos will follow when we get back.

On arrival at the camp there were a group of natives to welcome us. This welcome took the form of various dances and some very bad lip synching by people who were very over dress in their local outfits. Strange, but very nice of them.The highlight of the occasion was some form of local game involving throwing a dead goat from one horse to another. The rules totally evaded me and I think were more complex than cricket and comparably enjoyable. I have been told to watch Rambo 3 to see how it is played. The surprise that Rambo could be used as a form of education was possibly  the biggest shock of the day for me.

It is naturally nice to return to the joys of freeze dried food. It is truly the flavor that stays in your stomach with a digestion rate similar to the half life decaying process of nuclear waste with similar toxicity. Joy!

The terrain here is very rocky and windy. The rocks is immediately a concern to everybody around protection of ankles. This will significantly slow down our days travel. We are also currently at 1,700 meters and we have some significant assents over the next week. Also the temperature is much cooler here, around 38 during the day and around 15 during the night.

talk tomorrow....

Well, here we are again. The race starts in 12 days and the same questions rise their ugly head again:

Am I prepared?
Do I have all the right kit?
Is my backpack to heavy?
Do I have too much food?
Are my tent-mate's snoring going to keep me awake for countless hours?
Am I going to enjoy this?
Can I do this?
Am I crazy??????

I think the answer to all the questions is YES, except for the first. I really don't how anybody can be fully prepared for their first trip to the Gobi. Are we better prepared than last year....totally....fully prepared....never.

To be honest I feel as excited as a teenaged on his first date. The anticipation of seeing our friends we go so attached to last year and meeting new ones is always an integral part of our adventure and enjoyment. The small matter to traversing 156 miles is just something we do in between the fun conversations and gourmet freeze dried meals.

On the subject of 4 Desert fine dining I really feel that each of the competitors should submit their diets for the week. This compilation could then be marketed as the ultimate weight loss package. Possible a multi-million proposal, just don’t forget to throw a large pinch of sand in each mouthful.

Daily updates will start on June 7^th!