It’s been an odd start to a new term. I had completed several good long walks during the summer holidays. Sadly our adventures came to an abrupt end on the 30th August. We had planned an amazing 3 day walk in North Wales. The idea was to navigate around Ffestiniog along the mountain ridges. It started well, but as we climbed we were met with 60mph winds. Winds that really did blow us off our feet. It was too dangerous to attempt to reach the peak of Moelwyn Mawr (770m) so we camped in a low and sheltered spot at the base hoping the weather would pass and enable us to reach a summit the next day.
The next morning the weather was still very inclement and the winds carried more power making it more dangerous than the previous day. We ended up fighting against the wind to reach Moel Druman Allt-fair (698m).
It was on our way down that things changed abruptly for us. I slid on a slate and landed hard on my coccyx and left pelvis. I was carrying a 13 kilo backpack so came down hard. The impact made me motionless. I had sheering pain in my back and hip and I couldn’t move. I came over sick and dizzy and for a few minutes scared of what I had done to myself. It took me at least 5-6 minutes ( which felt like a lifetime) to move my legs an indication that all was well. I stayed lying down for a further 20 mins or so then with support from Laurie I was able to get back on my feet. Movement was painful, but not impossible so I attempted to continue our descent. It was slow progress but eventually we made it to a little cafe at the base in Tanygrisiau. I had a coffee and cake and most importantly I rested. After a good rest I decided that I would be able to walk back to the car, but wouldn’t be able to continue to walk the next day. An incredibly difficult decision to make, but a decision made easier because of the pain I was in.
Once home the hip continued to cause pain. I found it difficult to walk, sit or drive, so I decided to see the doctor to check I hadn’t done any serious damage. He gave me strong pain relief and gave me an X-ray. The x ray came back clear. I hadn’t fractured my coccyx in any way, but had done quite substantial damage to my pirifirmas. And everything was very swollen causing trapped nerves and pressure.
I had been forced to rest.
Everybody that knows me knows how hard I find it to rest. How hard it is if I’m not outside preferably somewhere remote. By half term my hip had started to improve so at the first possible moment we decided to walk several long days back to back to see if we could improve our stamina ready to walk the Two Moors Way. Our first 2 days was walking in and around Cardiff; Day one we walked 10miles and day two 8miles. On our arrival into Devon we decided to walk out to Knightshayes and around the woodland and parkland of the property equalling another 10miles. The following day we walked from Tiverton along the Grand Western Canal to a farm shop and cafe 11.5 miles.
Finally to finish our trip off I completed a mammoth 15.5 mile across Dartmoor.
A grand total of 55miles in 5 days. Although this was a far cry from what I’m hoping to achieve with the two moors way (104 miles over 5 days) it really indicates the progress I have made over the last 12 months.
Walking to health; the challenge 