Well its over. All the planning and scheming of the last 8 months worked out and we had one hell of an adventure. The holiday had two distinct parts, the first week was an epic journey full of drama and near disaster. The second week was more about getting away from it all and relaxing.

I’m not going to recount the stories here, they are back in the blog. But I am going to say that I was proud to travel with both Glenys and Tig, we have a bond now which will last for ever. This is forged through the experience of travelling together and enduring joy, stress and hardship together as a unit.

The group functioned well from the outset and by the end of the trip we could judge each other’s feelings well. Yes there were plenty of laughs, some tears (from me) and a silly accident which nearly saw me loosing a toe. My mates looked after me, and I looked after them and that’s just how it was.

Various bodies and people deserve our thanks and deepest respect, they are:
British Waterways
The Coast Guard
Boots n Paddles
Margaret and the staff of Glen Nevis camp site
My Mum for acting as shore contact
Gordy for his blog interaction
Sean Taylor for his constant advice and words of wisdom
Tamarack Outdoors for supplying most of the kit
Simon for being there to chat to on the phone (when I was missing Shropshire)

I am sitting at home now, trying to work out why I need all this stuff, does any one actually need a microwave? a tv? But I guess we do. Everyday life pays for adventures. This holiday has changed me fundamentally. Life is about experiencing adventure. The daily grind is all about facilitating this. Soon Tom will be along for the ride, I can’t wait.

Finally, thanks to Glen and Tig. For accompanying me on this mad adventure. Glen your cooking and good humour kept me going, looking forward to a good meal at the end of a hard slog motivated me more than you can imagine. Tig, singing silly songs when we were battling in to a headwind, setting up this blog and being the trip comedian got me through the harder parts of the trip.

It was a blast.

Stewey.

All back safe and sound now. Just unloading and sorting at stewies, before heading off home which may take some time as I have a flat battery. Groan.
A big thanks goes to all those that made this adventure possible, with special thanks to Margaret for feline feeding and fussing support and generally keeping dingle, ‘the bewdley mild cat’ out of mischief, and to Stewies parents for kindly acting as our shore contact, their sleepless nights wondering quite what we were getting into and letter locating support.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmbhJqPSUtQ&feature=youtube_gdata

Good grief it is a record!

Gps in on, next stop Tamarack Outdoors in Preston (how exotic), then we are on our way home

Good grief it is a record!

Gps in on, next stop Tamarack Outdoors in Preston (how exotic), then we are on our way home

This is why he is walking with a limp like an old school pimp….

Stu : Glen shall we move to a tipi village, I don’t think they mind how bad you smell at a tipi village

Stu : you know my tent has been “flipping” awesome
Tig : I don’t think you could do it in a church but I am sure you could get a civil partnership with your tent Stu…

Tig : Glen hurry up
Glen : (while crouching over pretending to squeeze air our of roll mat) I am praying
Tig : well you are in the right direction for mecca

Stu : Tig can you do me a favour and put these “flip”off huge plasters back in the first aid kit?
Tig : I always wondered what the medical name for those was.

Glen saying nothing rummages through her bag at breakfast and pulls out 3 seperate multitools and knives
Tig : don’t think much of the cutlery then?

Stu : well I am packed
Glen : just throwing all your kit out the door of the tent does not mean it is packed.

Oh and for those of you wondering why Glen does not have more lines in these it is more that she is generally quiet but when she does speak it is frequently rampant filth and not suitable for a family blog

The whole of the front is like this.

The daft part was we didn’t have this problem in scotland…

The cafe on site is shite too. A luke warm breakfast of tremendously bad value.
£24 buys you:
1 pot of tea
1 Earl Grey tea (large cup not pot)
1 filter coffee (tepid)
4 rashers of bacon
6 mushrooms
4 hash browns
3 fried eggs
1 slice of black pudding (between two)
2 sausages
1 veggie sausage
3 spoons of beans
4 halves of tomato
3 slices of toast (cold) unsalted butter
3 glasses of orange juice that turn up after you have finished you breakfast

Wack breakfast. Served on big plates, more space on the plates than breakfast, never a good look.