As you all know I have had to put an end to #Iceland2018 due to the fact that I was not well enough to risk going further off grid and away from medical assistance. I think I may have a kidney infection (oh the glamour) but will be seeing a doctor at 14.20 today for a proper diagnosis.
The run itself was super tough. Having been on the road for just five days – the team was struggling. We were pushing ourselves to cover as much mileage as possible each day – and supporting each other through when we were struggling.
Cadi, Ruben and Steph were fantastic people to have out there. Cadi is one of the most determined ladies (and an actual lady at that) that I have ever met and kept the group progressing when all we wanted to do was pitch up and sleep. All worst having some of the worst blisters I have ever seen – but pushed on regardless. Ruben has a no nonsense approach, never moaned, and could walk faster than we could run. No matter the conditions – he just got on with a smile on his face. And Steph Roberts, despite struggling at the start and threatening to quit a LOT over the first few days, went from strength to strength, whilst always putting the needs of others before herself. Having my best bud there definitely helped me through.
Had I not had to pull out, these wonderful people, who placed faith in me when signing up for the trip, would still be out there struggling on. For ending your trip – I am truly sorry. But, I hope that you are all proud of what we did achieve – it was tough going out there, especially the last three days drinking gritty water and suffering long, hot days with no shelter. It takes some tough cookies to do that and I hope that you’ve all gained something from the experience.
For me, the focus is on recovery, and then dealing with the emotional side after. I am sat now half asleep, drowzy and with stomach pains, having done nothing this morning. So I am looking forward to finding out what is wrong and am somewhat grateful I am not out in the highlands.
To get out from where we had reached, it was a 80km off road drive, followed by an hour trip around the ring road. The roads are closed (we were lucky to get a lift with maintenance people) so if we were to go back, it would take at least 3 days. Unfortunately, this would not give us time to finish. So it is an end to the run here.
Thanks so much to everyone who donated. We didn’t complete the run, but we hope you don’t rwgret donating. Acorns is still an extremely worthy cause and they will really appreciate your support.
I will be publishing blogs about how the run went over the next few days to give the whole story/show you allnl how stunning Icelandic back country is. But I just wanted to clear the air. Sorry all and thanks so much to everyone for the support, especially the team!
