The walk started easily enough from Inspiration Point but soon found a way to drop down to 6585 ft before starting the massive climb up Mount Baden-Powell. Named after the founder of the Scouts it’s 9400 ft high and steep, painfully steep. I thought my calf-muscles were tough before but they were cookie-dough. Now they’re carved out of wood. As I neared the spur trail to the top I was feeling good so I ran past Vortex and challenged him to a race to the summit, with packs (with 4 days of food and 3 litres of water). I got a 10-second head start but he sprinted by me only to slow to a wheezing crawl, as did I, before the top. I regained the lead but I wasn’t 10 seconds ahead at the end.