Little Chamonix at Shepherd's Crag, Keswick, was the last time I climbed rock. I did it with my leg in an external fixator, after a series of operations to work on the damage done by a rock climbing fall. I didn’t think at the time it was going to be my last climb: climbing with my leg in the frame was just one more challenge to keep me motivated during my recovery. But since we made theLittle Chamonix filmin 2013 I've had to endure more surgery, more of the mind numbing tedium of recovery, and I’ve done a few more challenges too.
Since that climb, I've changed so much. After the most recent surgery at the start of 2015 a week after myMother of Adventuretrip, my ankle is now locked in position with metal bolts holding it firm. When I saw the consultant last summer about my elbow, he told me that it has a limited lifespan before I need more surgical intervention: that's either joint replacement, fusion or the other which I can't bring myself to write.
The journey begins...