On Tuesday I had my regular climbing day with friends. On this occasion we were joined by my nephew, up here on holiday. We decided to go to the famous Cow and Calf rocks, above Ilkley. Things started badly when, leading the first route of the day, I fell off. It was, I gather from the film my nephew took at the time on his helmet camera, a fairly spectacular event. Fortunately I was wearing a helmet, which was just as well because I hit my head rather hard on landing. It would also have been a great deal worse also had the safety protection I had already put in place not worked perfectly. My bruises were minor and my dignity was damaged a good deal more than my body, and I finished the day in good spirits, managing an ascent which had previously defeated me and one of my regular partners.
Two things have surprised me since my return home. That evening, over dinner, quite suddenly I developed a very painful and swollen ankle, of which there had been no sign during the day. My nephew’s wife suggested that it was “referred pain”, but whatever it was there was no sign of it the next day. I am pretty certain, however, that I have been suffering from shock, suggested by the shivering I experienced getting into bed that night, and the unusual degree of fatigue I have experienced since then. This afternoon I fell asleep while reading. My mind, as you might expect, has been on other things!