I didn’t like typing “21 km” since Laurie and I agreed that it (and we) deserved a much higher number.

I was concerned about the elevation profile with today going up to 30°C and the uphill parts being at the end of the day. See the profile. Sure, it wasn’t Mt Everest, but more than I elevate on a typical day.

We set out promptly at 7:30 to get a good start. (We don’t walk in the dark, and it is dark until 7:15.) Views were very nice.

We knew there were some gates that might be problems, but the reports were confusing. Twenty minutes on, we were having trouble knowing  exactly which overgrown trail of several was the one we wanted. Aha! There’s the gate that someone had to climb and she said it was easy. Over we go! We waded through high weeds along a fence. One of us noticed on the other side of the fence, a respectable path with red-and-white GR markings. Sigh. That is obviousky where we should be! So, back to the locked gate. It was just as much fun climbing over the second time.

Up the hill on a path between 2 barbed wire fences, about 3 m apart. Look up ahead – is that a person? No, a horse. Or is it a donkey? Neither of us is an animal lover, so we prefer not to be within kicking distance of large animals. Why won’t it retreat before us, so we don’t have to get close? It looks skittish. We pretended we were horsey and proceeded carefully. Turned out that it was tethered on a 30-ft rope. It backed up to the end and when we got close, it darted past us to the other end of its rope.

The first hill on the profile was hard and we took a 30 minute rest at the top. The next part turned out to be less struggle because there were plentiful areas of dappled shade along one side.

As usual, Laurie moved ahead, so I arrived at this gate on my own.

I lifted the wire loop from the rusty staje on the right. I stepped down a big step and immediately suspected a problem. Reaching back up, I could not summon the strength to pull the contraption and wire loop back over its post. I didn’t want to be responsible for straying animals! I spent 10 minutes leaning on the thing, pushing with my shoulder. Finally I rummaged around in the dirt looking for parts, and found a 12-inch piece of rope to add as an extension.

A short distance further, Laurie was resting in the shade. Turns out that a farmer and his cows were passing at the same time she was, and HE closed the gate for her, so she had no problem.