I have good cause to remember the Mt Eval hike. I wore plimsolls that were new and marginally too small with the result that all my
toe nails went black and fell off the following week. More seriously I damaged both big toe joints and had to have them operated on
some years later. Mt Eval looked so close too - I bet we walked nearly 30 miles that day and night.
The hike was something to do to fill the time as we had fired all our missiles early. I seem to remember that Cpl Eric Vasey used the time to sunbathe in the dunes and took the opportunity to do so starkers. Unfortunately he fell asleep on his front and got so badly burned on his backside that he stood all the way home apart from the take-off and landing.
I gave up smoking some 25 years ago mainly because MoD meetings went non-smoking and I just couldn't be bothered to join the 'dash to the door' brigade.