Summary - Stats and Thoughts

It has been almost 4 weeks since we completed the walk. This has allowed my body (specifically feet) time to recover from the walk.
I have summarized the Fitbit stats that I downloaded upon return:

	Steps		Metres Ascent
Day 1	40,933		814
Day 2	36,348		677
Day 3	48,435		960
Day 4	58,428		2,070
Day 5	45,258		747
Day 6	44,590		878
Day 7	55,074		661
Day 8	54,803		405
Day 9	54,843		963
Day 10	43,133		588
Average	48,180		876

Days 3 & 4 were toughest of the days, with over 12 hours of walking on Day 3. However, at that time the feet / legs were OK, so I personally found the last four days just as tough.
I think we may have been overly ambitious in attempting both the walk in 10 days as well as taking in most of the high routes. It would have been a simpler walk sticking to mainly the valley floor; but without the great views that the ascents bring. We were limited by time; it would have been beneficial to add in a rest day after Day 4 and Day 8. 

It is interesting how the mind can overrule the body; each of the evenings from Day 4 onwards we (both of us) had great difficulty getting out of the car in the evening and walking to the accommodation. However, after a night's sleep we were physically able to tackle the next day at close to normal pace. Having said that, towards the end we did slow down due to the calf problems experienced by Chris and the feet/ankle problems by me.

Sign-posting is often non-existent along the route; so at all times you need to have your wits about you. Tiredness often leads to poor decision making; we were occasionally guilty of not following the map instructions / GPS waypoints closely. We made use of the Stedman maps (with the lack of consistent scale being the major complaint); Garmin GPS with waypoints and compass. At different times we needed all three to clarify our position.

Walking in summer generally means less gear to carry; we had the day's food and water; first aid kit, camera, waterproof jacket, gaiters and spare fleece. I prefer to walk in shorts in both wet and dry conditions; it removes the need for overpants.

I was glad we carried out a significant amount of training over the six months leading to the walk; without this basis of fitness it would have been nigh impossible to complete the walk. Some folks, such as the English & Irish women we met on Days 5 & 6 used the first few days as boot-camp. Unfortunately, we did not have this luxury due to the distances we needed to cover.

In summary, it was a fantastic experience; it was extremely challenging and most likely the toughest walk that I have completed. Now for the next one....