Microadventure from Pateley Bridge

Looks like I am off to my first  micro adventure with Lizzy!!!

SPA training

Scottish winter walking is behind, need to wait till next season :-(. But with summer approaching "slowly" time to do lots of climbing :-)!! At the end of April I have completed my Single Pitch Award training. Looking forward to teach people how to trad climb :-D!!!

Recovery

Recovery is going well, thinking I am going to start climbing with in 2 weeks :-D

my train was running late :-(

If you are reading my blog regularly, sorry for keeping you waiting for new tails for so long. I have been very busy, but not busy climbing mountains! I’ve been busy visiting the emergency department of the hospital. Looks like it’s much easier for me to climb high peaks then walk down the stairs.....  I know, I can’t believe it either.

On Monday 18^th of February I woke up at about 6.30. showered, ate breakfast, kissed goodbye to my husband.  Walked to the train station and at 7.57 i found out that my train was running 35 minutes late. Not good, as it’s only my 3^rd day at my new job. i hate giving the wrong impression, even if it’s not my fault. The train journey was about 40 minutes, all this time i was thinking ‘how can i get to work as fast as i can’ (crazy I know)... The train eventually arrived at Harrogate train station, i jumped out the carriage, ran as best I could, I was running so fast i missed one step near the top of a on a flight of stairs and flew over 8 steps down.

Next second I was lying on the floor, with a few people around me. They were asking if i was ok. Yeah, umm I mean NO i was in pain, massive pain, for the second time in my life I was thinking how many bones i have broken? I was sitting on the floor, when i reached with my left hand and touched my right shoulder. Then i said “sh**” i found a big lump between my shoulder and my neck, “omg please call the ambulance”.

I was escorted by 2 nice people in to the train station building, then the station staff looked after me till the ambulance arrived. I phoned my work, said that i am not coming in and explained why. Within 5 minutes Lou ‘’my boss’’ ran to the station and was trying to support me and keep me calm.

The ambulance arrived, 3 very cheery paramedics tried to find out what kind of damage the fall had done to me. I enjoyed their company, their support was great......as was the oxygen (it made me feel drunk J ).

At the hospital i had an x-ray done, I was in pain. I had to wait for about 2 hours to find out what was actually wrong with me.  The doctor entered my cubicle, he said well ive Got good news for you because it could have been much worse. By falling onto my shoulder i had ripped all my ligaments between my collar bone and my shoulder. As a result my collar bone spring up from the normal position and was now sticking out by 2 cm, in-between my shoulder and my neck. Oh dear, not cool.

 I have been told that there was nothing they can do for me, that i had to go home, rest and come back to see a different doctor tomorrow. I could hardly even walk, i was in so much pain. I got home, and was very upset. I was thinking about all my near future plans: single pitch award, ice climbing trips to Scotland, climbing wall, climbing trips to the peaks.... by about 17.00 i was in so much pain i could not take it anymore. I was thinking maybe they have made the wrong judgment sending me home, maybe they didn’t wanted to help me, maybe because i wasn’t showing my pain to others, they thought i am well ....it was a very painful and restless night.

The next day i went back to the hospital and after a couple of hours wait I was told my injury was common with many rugby players and that he would see me again in 3 weeks, by when the pain would hopefully have dissipated. I came home and did some research. I have been panicking about home much movement I will keep and how the injury will affect my climbing. Sometimes I am scarred my hobby has been compromised and sometimes I am happy nothing more serious occurred. In three weeks the doctor will hopefully give me good news, fingers crossed.

Yep yep yep, crazy kat’s life as always. Mountains i miss you, I hope to be with you soon.

You can do it!

I like writing (let’s hope sometime soon my English will get better, ha ha). I love sharing my knowledge or just ideas with people around me. Recently I have moved from Norwich to York. In Norwich I had a good job. My job was involving me talking (giving advice and help) to adventurous people 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, from first time walkers to world famous climbers, i enjoyed chatting to them all.

It is sad, that in York at this moment, I can’t do the same job. Well if can’t do that kind of job face to face, maybe I can write! Hopefully by writing I can inspire some folks to get up and do things they have only been dreaming of. YOU CAN DO IT! Pick the challenge, follow your dream, every day you will be closer to it.

For the past 29 years I was scared and worried to make a wrong choice or to make a wrong move. I was scared to die in the crevasse, or to get buried in the avalanche, or brake parts of my body while climbing/running/mountaineering...and now I understand I can die any second of my life... I could become ill or get hit by car, or......it’s lots of or’s!!! So now I am just going to do it. Off course do it with care and make judgements based on what is happening around me. But the FACT is I am going for it. No more hiding away from the world.    And you can do it too!!! 

The best food for your trips away

The best food for your trips away.

Ok, so when you are going away climbing, backpacking, mountaineering or.....you need to eat and you need to eat well. Making sure that you got plenty of calories and plenty of energy to complete your aiming task.
Everyone is keep saying that the best thing in the morning for breakfast is porridge. Correct, but last time I was in the Alps, nearly every morning I was eating porridge. So guess what I don’t think I can eat porridge any more. You would say, hang on, you can’t stop eating porridge after just one trip to Alps.


 Just to clarify, when I was a kid, I was attending pre-school learning group. And every single morning they were feeding us with PORRIDGE! I remember force feeding and harsh moment of feeling sick : –(. No more porridge for me.

Me @ pre-school learning group

Right now I am trying different combinations of good/ healthy/light weight foods. So far - no luck. I have tried sausages. Sausages first of all a heavy product, healthy (not so sure about that one) plus you feel very thirsty after eating them –(.

Sandwich?  May be, but I intend to carry sandwiches with me on the hill.
Some other things I have tried but nothing right so far. Will keep on looking.
The best food in your backpack...I don’t think I got a problem with pack lunch. As when I am stopping for a snack break or lunch, I am starving to death, so I would eat anything! Usually, I got banana and apple, few sandwiches, packed of crisps and some kind of snack bar.  But wait there is more (LOL)!!! In the recent past my friend Paul suggested to try Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference Flapjack, now my favourite eatable thing in my backpack -), absolutely love it!


Lots of expensive bars on the market, but if you are going away 2-3 times a month’s it could be a bit pricey.
I have tried nuts and raisins on one of my trips, but after 5 days I could not eat them, as my jaws were so steve and I could not chew.
In the evening, if it’s not a budget trip –Pub/take away! If it’s a budget trip I would cook some kind of pasta, or rice dish or well anything.
Looks like I got a problem only with my breakfast –(, maybe I always will, maybe I just don’t like to eat breakfast! Time will show.

What have you got to eat in your backpack? What is your favorite breakfast?

My drug is the Scottish Winter

I think I am a drug addict and my drug is the Scottish Winter! I can’t sleep, I can’t eat, I can’t live without snowy rolling hills and magical mountains in the Cairngorms and Highlands. Only a week ago I was at the YHA waiting for the weather to change so I could start climbing. I had an amazing time and now it looks like I am going back to finish off some routes near Ben Nevis.  Happy Days :-D