We woke up this morning and didn’t feel like moving. We said goodbye to Susan and Gary and decided to stay put. Our campsite is overlooing lake Hawea and the weather is lovely and sunny.

I forgot to mention yesterday I tried my loaded pack for the first time.  I’d been pain free for a few  days and the physio had suggested trying my pack about 6 days before the hike, and to try wearing it for 60-90 minutes. If I remained pain-free the next day, I should be fine for the hike,

Well, as soon as I put my pack on I felt a pain. It wasn’t as bad as it had been, but it felt like a warning sign. Later that day I tried it again around the campground, for only about 20 minutes. The pain was still there but not getting any worse.

So, today we did a walk into Hawea, only about an 1.5 hour round  trip, no pack on my back. It felt fine, until later in the afternoon. It’s still not as bad as it was in Nelson, but it is causing me discomfort every time I move. I figure this is a sign, and my gut is telling me not to do the walk.

So I rang Robyn to tell her we’re probably bailing. John suggested I just take ibuprofen regularly during the hike to cope. That might work for some people, but masking pain during a multi-day hike doesn’t sit well with me and could easily turn a minor strain into weeks of physio. With our upcoming European adventure only 7 weeks away, I’m not willing to take that risk. I’ve learned to trust my gut with these things. So I think we’re going to start heading north tomorrow. It’s too frikking cold down south anyway!