It has been so hilly today that in many places there was no need for a wall to keep the enemy out. Instead, natural high and steep ridges and mountain sides did the job.
I am getting more in touch with assessing the safety and sanity of what I am doing now.
After descending the mountain I camped on yesterday, I crossed a river. It had a pretty strong current due to rainfall the last two nights, but it was not so deep. All the same I had to lean heavily forward on the walking sticks and could feel the sand dissappearing under my feet if I didn’t move. At one place the walking sticks started shaking hard due to the current.
On the way down the mountains to the west of the river, I had spotted a place to climb up on the eastern side. It went fine for a long time, but then I had to get to the next mountain to reconnect with the Great Wall. Basically it was a wild walk – narrow with a high drop to one side and a vertical mountain wall on the other. There were loose stones and gravel. I used a lot of energy making sure not to take a wrong step. I was in a similar situation later on in the day.
Risk assessment is a personal issue, and it should be, as the potential consequences are also highly personal. After being close to the limit of my comfort zone more than once today, I might lower my comfort zone a little so that I have some leverage for the coming stretches. Part of my risk assessment is that I am walking alone and that I am going to be exposed to risk for a long period of time.
10 kilometres today plus 7 to get to a place to buy water
I’m glad you’re paying attention to risk level. Don’t let your comfort zone drift due to “desensitization” resulting from long periods of risk exposure. Always maintain a reasonable margin of safety. If you’re in doubt, listen to your intuition and don’t press on regardless of the danger. Be patient and willing to spend more time rather than taking undue risks. We want you to complete your trek without any significant incidents!