Imagine a forest designed to train soldiers to fight in trenches. Mazes of tunnels under logs and channels running off in every direction. Each trench is four foot deep, dry as a bone, and is barricaded with fallen trees, thorns the size of Crayola crayons and brambles that cut your skin like a cheese grater.

This is the jungle we’ve been stuck in for four days now. I’ve never seen anything like it. The channels are clearly for drainage in wet season but now they are nothing but obstacles in Cho’s and my path. We share the machete work – half an hour each up front – our hands get cut constantly on the spines as we slide down the mud into the ditches and drag ourselves up and out the far side on our knees.

Yesterday I felt very sorry for myself. Every step was tired and slow, and after falling through a rotten log into a trench and slicing a chunk out of my calf I could see the pity on Cho’s face, but also the slight annoyance with me that I couldn’t raise my game.

We made camp last night and after a sweet coffee and fried salted beef I realised I was physically fine and I decided that my weakness had been in my head. If I could only think more positive thoughts I would be much stronger.

I started today completely committed to staying positive and in good humour all day. I said goodbye to negative thoughts and only let strong encouraging things occupy my brain. Each fall or cut would have brought me down the day before – but I turned it into a challenge that I enjoyed overcoming.

It’s a long time to stay positive but we are taking one day at a time. We underestimated how much farine (carbohydrate that needs no cooking) we would need so we are still very hungry – again. 1,000 calories a day if we don’t catch fish – which today we didn’t.

Only ten months left to push...

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