-
Well, I'm pleased to see how much you've changed since then :-)
I probably was, my favourite green-black plaid. This was before I became in the Rockies one very cold winter weekend; although we were all roughly the same age, I was very much the junior -- they were both experienced mountaineers who just fancied an ice climb while we were there. I don't think they'd brought crampons, and possibly wouldn't have used them if they had -- the waterfall was incredibly beautiful and it would have been a shame to damage it in any way. As I remember, several layers of socks worked quite well, your feet conform to the shape of the foothold and the fibres of the outer woolly pair freeze onto the ice a bit to give reasonable grip.
I've driven on more ice than I've walked on! When appropriate I tend to use my backside as a fifth point of contact to make my way down difficult inclines, or take my boots off and walk in socks. Would have been cold, though. I've had some nasty short slides on sheets of wet, slippery rock, though -- the sort where you pull muscles in almost every part of your body when one foot tries to go AWOL.
I find down much worse than up these days because (as mentioned on urw) I think I'm using my legs badly and putting a lot of strain on my knees, which can be extraordinarily painful on quite gentle downhill slopes; he has the same problem exacerbated by real damage. I'm beginning to think the best Christmas present either of us could have would be a set of appointments with someone who can analyse our gait and come closer to pinpointing the problem.
-
I'd like to see if I would jump out of an aeroplane. Provided you know how to do it and the kit is well-checked it should be reasonably safe, so it would be a mental exercise. Forebrain over hindbrain and I'd like to find out if forebrain wins. Mind you, it's a bit like that every time I go in water out of my depth! Bungee jumping is something I've thought of, but my Pilates instructor (also works in remedial medicine) has told tales of the damage that can be done to one's back, and then there's the detached retina thing. I think jumping off a cliff and para-gliding is probably safer if you know what you're doing. That's the only sort of thing that makes me wish I was young again. Age has compensations, though.
regards sarah
-- Think of it as evolution in action.
