Hey this is TA calling in from day 66 of the great big walk. At an elevation of 3230 or thereabouts, at a place called just below the tingsi la and the day was a little bit different than anticipated. We actually thought we would be stopping in Bigu Gompa. Which was about an 800 m gain from our riverside camp of last night but life sometimes doesn’t turn out the way you anticipate. So we packed up, figuring it might be our last day on the road. We were not sure if in Bigu we were going to get picked up by truck or stay the night. So we were thinking maybe this might be our last bit of walking and we sort of pounded out the 850 m in just over 2 hours 15. It was great fun at one point we got adopted by about 15 or 16 or 20 kids on their way to school at Bigu Gompa and Marian got quizzed about lots of different things. About what she likes to eat, what she likes to do, about her children, about her sisters and brothers by two of the brave young ones as we walked up and then we got to Bigu Gompa and Marian and I visited the nunnery there. It is I believe one of the biggest nunneries in Nepal. It is a very forward thinking place for people to women to study the Durma. Study Buddhism.  They teach the young women who are studying there not only the Durma but English and also Kung Fu for confidence and after we visited the shrine room, which was interesting. It felt a little different than when we visited a monastery to me. We were invited to have milk tea and I think we were joined by one of the head nuns. So that was a nice little mid day field trip from where we had stopped. Turns out the road over the tingsi la has had some washout. So we learned then after lunch that we weren’t done walking indeed but that we would need to walk up and over the tingsi la and down to a place where a vehicle can pick us up. Some time tomorrow, maybe in the afternoon.

So we actually broke a lot of records today, or we tied some records and broke some others. The record we absolutely blasted, so kind of amazing on what is turning out to be our second last day of the great big walk is our elevation gain record. It was our biggest elevation gain by almost double. 657 floors or just shy of 2000m. 6570 feet of elevation gained so you know we’re feeling pretty pooped out this evening. We also did 21.5 km. Marian had 30 958 steps. I had 32 136, shy of our daily record and Cam had 31 348 and we all clocked in at around 21.5km.

So the great big walk isn’t letting us off easy. We have to go up and over the pass tomorrow. According to the map, the pass is about 3-7 and then we go down to 1600m so our little legs and feet and ankles and knees are going to want to just fall off by the time we actually get to our vehicle that will take us to Kathmandu.

So an exciting end to the great big walk and so because I might not be able to call in an update tomorrow, I will definitely be doing a lot smaller reflective pieces from the great big walk over the next while and pictures and lots of things but in the meantime just in case I wanted to thank the Memorial University of Newfoundland office of engagement for their funding of these updates from the great big walk. I wanted to thank Brianne, Anthony and Earl for minding the home communications front and transcribing and making sure there was lots of great content on the Facebook page. I wanted to thank my school of human kinetics and recreation colleagues for covering for me while I am off having this amazing experience on the great big walk. I wanted to thank participating schools here. Messages of inspiration and knowing that you were off walking with us each and everyday and your questions were fabulous so thanks for participating along with us and I wanted to thank a few others who have also tuned in with us on the great big walk. It has been great to have you along.

Great to know you also have been walking, rolling, running, strolling, hiking, getting physically active in whatever way makes sense for you and so I will miss talking to you all each day and definitely do look at the website over the next little while for lots of pictures and reflections and those kinds of things as Marian and I transition home and get to share lots of the amazing photographs. I am sure we’ve got 5,000 pictures at least to get through and we will definitely drop you some kind of note from Kathmandu to let you know that we’ve arrived there safe. We start flying home on May 9th and we arrive there on May the 10th. If by chance you have nothing to do, and you want to come out to the airport, we’re coming on an Air Canada flight from London. I think it lands at about 3pm on the 10th that Saturday.

So come on out. Welcome us come. Celebrate the great big walk with us. So signing off from day 66 of the great big walk and catch you soon from either from Kathmandu and then also to let you know we got home safe and probably from some airports along the way. Big day here. Blew out our elevation today on our last big day, so it is a great way to end the great big walk with a great big walk. Take care. Bye!

Total Steps for TA: 32 136 steps, 657 floors

Total Steps for Marian:  30 958 steps, 657 floors

Total Distance for TA: 21.5 km

Total Distance for Marian: 21.5 km

Great Big Walk acknowledges the support of the Memorial University of Newfoundland Quick Start Fund for Public Engagement in making these updates from the field possible.