Thanks John and NellyDee.
With the return of winter conditions after the recent thaw, I made another journey to the Lake District on Friday (12th) with the intentions of climbing St, Sunday Crag, Fairfield, and Hart Crag. - The plot continues.
but this time, another perfect morning - and a fairly disastrous afternoon!
Not a particularly spectacular day weather-wise, (although sometimes, patchy mist can make for quite dramatic/brooding landscape photography), but the snow was in good condition for walking/climbing.
All was extremely enjoyable until I’d almost reached the top of Cofa Pike on Fairfield. Where, after just starting to climb a steep, (maybe 45-50 degree), snow-gully, with rocky outcrops, (front-pointing with crampons/ice-axe), I suddenly felt an excruciating pain in my left leg, and fell backwards. (It felt as though a rock had fallen from somewhere and slammed into the back of my leg).
Fortunately, I was able to quickly arrest my fall with the ice-axe, and lying in the snow was left wondering exactly what had happened. – I then tried to stand up, at which point I realised that I’d done something untoward to my leg. The pain was quite unlike anything I’ve ever experienced!!! – A tricky situation! – almost at the top of Fairfield, miles away from anywhere, and not a soul around.
After some minutes, and with thoughts of potentially needing to call out the Mountain Rescue team, I realised that although it was very painful, with some difficulty, and using a pair of recently bought telescopic walking poles as crutches, I could just about hobble along if I kept my left leg bent, with only the toe of my boot touching the ground.
Slowly but surely, I managed to ease my way down the mountain, where, after a couple of miles, (and about three hours!
), I was caught up by two climbers, coming down via the same route. They offered much assistance, and stayed with me for company (for which I was very thankful!). A mile or so later, from Thornhow Farm, (where we met a couple of people with a van), I was given a lift back to the climbers car, where I was then ferried back to my own car.
Strangely, whilst sitting down with the leg bent, I was in no pain at all, and could function completely as normal. – Very thankfully, because of that, driving was no problem, and I was able to drive myself home – and thence to A&E in my home town.
Cutting a long story short, it seems that I’ve either snapped my Achilles tendon, or torn my calf muscles, and as I type this, I’m laid up at home, awaiting the checking of x-rays and, dependent on final diagnosis, the specialist’s to come back to me with their “plan of action”.
Looking on the bright side - it could have been worse.
So folks, a few photos taken on the day, before the dastardly deed occurred – but not much likelihood of any further installments in the very near future!
Regards,
Mike.
- Route taken - Intended and actual
A few pics from the day: - (Photo descriptions in list form below, to ensure that thumbnails show correctly in grid-layout).
Photo 1 - Dove Crag and Hart Crag from summit of St. Sunday Crag.
Photo 2 - Close-up of Hart Crag.
Photo 3 - Fairfield and Cofa Pike with Grisedale Tarn in the distance.
Photo 4 - Close-up of Fairfield & Cofa Pike.
Photo 5 - Looking back to St. Sunday Crag from below Cofa Pike.
Photo 6 - Striding Edge from Cofa Pike.
