Hi Geoff,
Many thanks for your informative reply and words of encouragement, your rowing experience would have been very useful in the training.
Whilst I am not doing the trek until mid next year, your comment about stepping up the training in the last 3 months is sound and fits in with my plan. I will certainly take your advise about finding some suitable hills and have already incorporated some into my regular training.
If I may ask, how did you find the weather in August when you did the walk and did it take long to adjust coming from Aus at that time of year?
Once again thank you for your advise
Regards
Colin