Stephen, mole catcher and dry stone waller, has a taste for adventure and a liking for hiking. Put these together and you have a series of holidays in Switzerland and Austria, where he decides to try for the Golden Boot hiking award. This involves completing ten hikes, with no cheating! His adventures include witnessing the vanishing victim of the ice grotto, new companions and great ‘crack’ wherever he goes. During this and his subsequent adventures in Canada, Scotland and the Lake District, the plot darkens, drifting into his developing mental illness, with frightening, unrecognised symptoms. His unusual behaviour causes concern and several ‘missing’ reports from fellow travellers and tour reps, then worry for his family, leading to hospital, a trial, bipolar disorder and a breakdown. This diary chronicles his personal journeys, both on foot and in his mind, giving an insight into mental illness and his passion for mountains.