navigation

Well it looks like I’ve passed my navigation assessment for the team. Excellent.

This also constitutes number 76 off of the 101 list!, or at least it is a massive step in the right direction, and the only way of really defining it.

scary stuff and mountain rescue

I’m not going to write much this time round, I’ve been busy doing allsorts really: climbing, running, walking, training etc etc, but I do have a link to some interesting photos taken on an exercise carried out by the Ogwen Mountain Rescue Team:

http://picasaweb.google.com/ogwen.rescue/TeamExerciseJune6thJune2010?feat=embedwebsite#

Why are these pictures relevant? Well because I was the one in the stretcher! Foolishly I agreed to help out and play ‘casualty’ – for the exercise I had sustained a broken leg after a fall taken by my climbing partner ripped all his gear and left him dead at the base of the crag – I was left stranded and injured on the ‘Bilberry Terrace’ of Craig Yr Ysfa (in the Carneddau – the crag is famous for the routes of Amphitheatre Buttress, VDiff and Mur Y Niwl, VS).

The crag is huge, complex and intimidating, and the ledge slopes at an angle of between 30-45 degrees, so you can probably imagine the fun had getting me into the stretcher with one of my legs in a splint. Hilarious, not.

I shall say nothing other than it was a very scary and unpleasant experience, but the guys did a fantastic job and deserve the utmost respect for what they do.

If anyone is interested in finding out more, check out the Ogwen Team website: http://www.ogwen-rescue.org.uk/ or more importantly, check out the North East Wales team site (the long suffering and very capable souls who are training me) and help us out if you can: http://www.newsar.org.uk/