I found the “Life in MDS” presentation by Mari-Mar very informative. It gave an insight into what we could expect. I’ve read volumes of information on the Internet from other people’s experience; however I found that sifting through the hyperbole was a thankless task. Their first-hand knowledge and experience and slide show was much more knowledgeable and useful than anything I read on the Net. The tips offered during the presentation and throughout the week-end was practical and useful.

The Saturday and Sunday walk/run was great and provided a variety of terrain to navigate – steps, slopes, hills, boardwalks, trails and soft sand. This was the first time I had walked with my pack on dry sand
The overnight camping experience I felt was good in that it gave us the opportunity to sleep in a lean-to with a group of people. It also provided us with the opportunity to test out some of the camp food we had brought with us and to see whether our stoves were suitable. Having the opportunity to meet and communicate with some of the others who will be attend the MDS was a worthy exercise.

I just appreciated the opportunity to familiarise myself with equipment, trekking and running with a backpack as well as getting to know other people involved.

The whole week-end was like a well-oiled machine