French organisers wake us up at 5.30 driving around in Land Rover with speaker blaring sound of cockerel crowing. Funny.
3 minutes before we set off to the rhythm of AC/DC's Highway to Hell (doubly funny) a competitor passed out and was dragged off. Don't know if he started. 32C at 9am according to tent mate Wayne's watch.
Finally got running. Sand and dried river beds. Steep climb up a jebel for 200m with 15% gradient: rucksack feels heavy. People wobbling all over the place. At bottom of descent wave of heat very noticeable. [Later learnt temperature hit 48C today.]
Passed French competitor projectile vomiting at side of track. Looked in a bad way. "Ca va?" I asked. He nodded at me with hamster-like full cheeks and concern in his eyes . . . and projectile vomited everywhere again. Further up the track another competitor was in a bad way being overseen by Doc Trotters who'd arrived in their Land Rover.
Through CP2. Ahead started 1.3km sandy track to top of Tibert Jebel. Steep. Ensured I stopped every few steps once heart rate hit 160. Incredibly hot in the windless cover of the jebel. Finally saw finish bivouac 4.5km away. Took an absolute age to get there.
Back at bivouac heard rumour of an old desert well few 100 metres away. Tent mate Mark and I went to investigate. Sure enough, people luxuriating in cold waters drawn from well. We took turns dragging old leather bucket from the depths and pouring it over each other: freezing cold but felt fantastic. Felt much better after that. Also washed our kit. Not likely to have this opportunity again.
Dawning on us what we've let ourselves in for.
[Original Stage 1 email postings not sent from bivouac. This entry submitted later.]
