Good breakfast from Mrs Samuels in Wendover (we were offered 2nd’s but have long since moved away from full-english to simple eggs or eggs & bacon plus loads of muesli or granola!)

Jenny collected our overnight bags around 08:30 & we set off on our final leg to meet the extended family on top of Ivinghoe Beacon.

We slipped out of Wendover along The Ridgeway, although much of the trail is actually The Icknield Way, moving around the contours of Bodington Hill & Wenover Woods, thankful we weren’t having to go over the top for a change!

Tring seemed to appear much quicker than we imagined but walking through Tring Park was a fairly solemn experience – trapped between avenues of trees, lots of yews, it all felt dark, funereal & completely different to either the natural woodland of the chilterns or the wide open spaces we had experienced south of the Thames. I don’t much like parks, they serve a great & valid purpose in towns & cities but where countryside is abundant, I don’t enjoy the formality of laid out routes.

Tring Station passed, we began to climb again through Northfield Grange, Pitstone Hill until we were staring at Incombe Hole, Steps Hill & finally Ivinghoe Beacon itself.

We gave up counting the miles or even km but a conservative estimate would be around 160km with our to-ing’s & fro’ings.

We made the beacon at 3pm where I rolled up in my poncho & slept for 30 mins & Tom sat out of the wind before the rest of the family turned up with a couple of bottles of champagne on board !

After a brief celebration, we headed to Wigginton & had a meal together at The Greyhound and were joined by the Chairman of Narcolepsy UK, Bill Wiggins to celebrate our walk & funds raised – over my (2nd) target of £5,500 & almost £6,500 with gift aid added !

THANKS TO ALL WHO SPONSORED US, SENT MESSAGES OR SIMPLY FOLLOWED THE BLOG – OVER 1,000 HITS IN UNDER A MONTH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you haven’t yet followed up your pledge, please do as Narcolepsy UK have a lot to do in an extremely tough economic environment where knowledge of this rare & acute disorder is sketchy at best & more often misunderstood.

My alter ego, “Marcolipsey”, will continue to fight injustice, inequality, unfairness, misunderstanding & all forms of needless bureaucracy on behalf of all with Narcolepsy.

Special thanks to my son, Tom, who I would not have made it without. For the record, I have the utmost respect for your positive attitude, support for me & ability to facebook for at least 3.5 hours whithout tripping up – Dad.

Thanks also from Narcolepsy UK – http://www.narcolepsy.org.uk