Day 190 "Up's and Down's"

Michael walking in the Alps

29 October, 2011

Greetings from Switzerland.

Crossing the Alps had been a looming challenge ever since I crossed into Italy and I saw the Alps to my right as trekked across to Milan; there was a fear that the snows might close the pass before I reached there and of course the physical demands. Like all fears they grow more in the mind and reduce when we begin to assail them.

On the way up to the 6000 ft pass I had never felt so good, utterly exhilarated in fact as anyone would be—see pic . I resolved that as I felt so good that I would try and find follow the old Napoleonic path down the other side which wasn’t a smart move as the track had become covered in snow and I soon lost my way and then lost my footing sliding down a ravine resulting in a dislocated and fractured shoulder.

The good news is that it could have been a whole lot worse had a tree trunk not broken by fall and my head hit the rock first rather than second after my shoulder as I ended up face down in an Alpine steam with my rucksack pinning me down.  

Adrenaline is a wonder drug  and I felt such a rush through my veins which enabled me not only haul myself out of the water but also to enable me to haul my rucksack for seven miles (in five hours) along the rocky floor of the ravine until I connected with a road where I hitched a lift to hospital first in Brig and then referred to Visp as they needed to  manipulate the bone in the joint to ensure that the two pieces went back in together—fortunately I was knocked out for that part.

In one of those miracles of modern technology I noticed when I came to that I had received a text from my brother, David just after the fall saying, “Are you okay? Noticed that you are at the bottom of steep ravine and haven’t been moving for a while.’ The GPS locator on my mobile phone encouraged me that some ‘thing’ and some ‘one’ up there had been looking after me.

I was kept in hospital overnight for observation more because of the bash on the head than the shoulder—this was the first time in my life I had spent a night in hospital since I was born 50 years ago. I didn’t like it any more now than I did then. I have a propensity to think too much and so having time on my hands is a very bad thing for me. After another sleepless night I woke and decided that I needed to just get moving. I caught the Post-bus back to just beyond the point where I had hitched a lift and then walked ten miles back to the hospital in Visp where I had an appointment at 5PM.  I felt so much better for it (and for listening that evening to Radio Five Live commentary on Stoke (1) v Newcastle (3) ). Of course it was more uncomfortable than usual I had forgotten how much we use our arms when we walk, but I had been loaded up with the best painkillers Swiss medicine could provide by the brilliant medical team in Visp who had been  enthusiastic and very supportive about my mission.

If trying to find the lost trail of Napoleon was the stupidest decision I had taken then getting moving and getting over the slip was the smartest. Using the hotel in Brig as a base and shuttling back and forth on the excellent Swiss railways I walked from Visp to Sierre on Tuesday, Sierre to Sion yesterday and hopefully Sion to Martigny today. See pic 2.Michael Bates - pic 2

Of course, it is impossible for me to carry my forty pound rucksack for at least the next month but I can still make progress as I have this week. I will also have the bonus of Xuelin coming out for the next week to hire a car and help shuttle my rucksack between accommodations so that I can reach Bern on schedule on November 14 where the British Embassy have prepared an excellent couple of days of events and meetings to promote the truce. Then Cousin Stephen and Tom are coming out on a pre-planned visit on the 17^th which should get me into Germany on schedule.

Other implications of the injury are that writing emails takes about four times as long as normal so the rate of responding to emails and updating blogs will be slow—apologies in advance.

Be assured that I am in good spirits and with the exception of one limb feeling very fit.

Trust you are all well and thank you for your interest and support.

Best regards,

Michael