Friday 14 April 2017

On the Snowden Horseshoe.

I started my new meds last night, which are supposed to stop me having muscle spasms. As they feel like a mule just kicked you in the back, that's a good thing.

I timed it just right, then got into bed and........the spasm's started of again. I got about 2 hours sleep, then at 3 or 4 o'clock it really went off - agony until I bit the bullet and braved the pain of getting up.

Agony.

I spent the day sat in the armchair, trying not to move. I slept a lot and watched films on YouTube.

I like watching things I always wanted to do and never did - I watched a film of someone taking a helicopter flight over Manhattan. I always wanted to see New York.

On the way, it flew over what must have been the Engelwood Cliffs in New Jersey, where the Blue Note Jazz label had it's studio. Amazingly, my grandmother lived nearby at Fort Lee although I never had a chance to visit her, which is sad.

Sometimes I watch things I've done, sometimes things I wish I could have done one more time.

I didn't have any chance to travel when I was young - I had some holidays Youth Hostelling in Wales. I climbed Snowden three times, usually by the easy routes like The PYG track or The Miners Track. It's more like walking than climbing, which is just as well because I am seriously scared of heights - I have problems getting up on a stepladder.

One year when I climbed Snowden I decided to take Crib Goch on the way down. At the summit it had been clear and sunny but halfway down the clouds descended on me and it was raining and misty; very dangerous. In the end I had to turn back, climbed back up the ridge to the top of the mountain to take a less dangerous path down.

I always meant to go back and do it properly.

I found this fantastic ascent of Crib Goch on YouTube - on it you can see it's like walking along the top of a roof with a 1500 foot drop on either side at places.

Best feeling ever!

Mind you, I wasn't as cool as these guys and neither was I holding a GoPro on the end of a selfie stick while I did it.

Have a look for yourself;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n86W5jMiV3Y

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

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