25-10-14, 10:11 AM
Solid advice. Although in order to learn your limits, first you must pass them.
My map pocket was in the house, clearly not the best place for it. Waterproof/windproof gloves? In work. Waterproof trousers? In my bag. I put them on after I got soaked. Clean dry clothes to change in to? Loads of them at home, several hours away. That was the least prepared and worst conditioned mountain walk yet. I clearly was taken by summit fever. I knew it at the time. I sat and had my lunch at a small section that seemed to have the wind machine turned off, as you say. I got a text from my good lady asking how I was. I thought... The water is dripping from my phone and from the inside of my jacket and my waterproof socks had become little bacteria swimming pools. My middle toe on the right foot was shredded to bits. My exposed face was in pain and everything in me said - STOP. GO BACK AND DO THIS ANOTHER DAY. For reasons best known to my subconscious, I ignored my gut, which has served me well over the years, and continued. Almost at the expense of a looooonnnnnggggg night on a cold, wet mountain.
Lesson learned. I would have felt a right fanny if I had to spend a night up there. That would not have been fun. And yesterday was not any better, so it would have been the same again.
I might take my GPS as back up next time. Just in case.
Good luck with your swimming and recovery.
My map pocket was in the house, clearly not the best place for it. Waterproof/windproof gloves? In work. Waterproof trousers? In my bag. I put them on after I got soaked. Clean dry clothes to change in to? Loads of them at home, several hours away. That was the least prepared and worst conditioned mountain walk yet. I clearly was taken by summit fever. I knew it at the time. I sat and had my lunch at a small section that seemed to have the wind machine turned off, as you say. I got a text from my good lady asking how I was. I thought... The water is dripping from my phone and from the inside of my jacket and my waterproof socks had become little bacteria swimming pools. My middle toe on the right foot was shredded to bits. My exposed face was in pain and everything in me said - STOP. GO BACK AND DO THIS ANOTHER DAY. For reasons best known to my subconscious, I ignored my gut, which has served me well over the years, and continued. Almost at the expense of a looooonnnnnggggg night on a cold, wet mountain.
Lesson learned. I would have felt a right fanny if I had to spend a night up there. That would not have been fun. And yesterday was not any better, so it would have been the same again.
I might take my GPS as back up next time. Just in case.
Good luck with your swimming and recovery.
Not quite sure what to do with my early mid-life crisis. Ideas on a post card to P.O.BOX 150...