The Diagnosis.

Torn Ligaments... The pain will go away, the swelling will go away - but the ligaments, once torn, will always be torn.

So it's a management issue for the rest of my days...

6-8 weeks before I can climb again.

And so it begins...
Stage 3: recovery.

Stage 2... Feeling Sorry for Myself.

The ankle business is starting to weigh on my mind... Before today there was a sort of denial that it might be anything serious until I made an appointment with my physio and then I sort of admitted to myself that there's a reason it's still swollen and very sore 4 days later despite diligent icing and rest etc...

It's hard to imagine that I'll be out for 4-6 weeks or maybe longer cause walking doesn't hurt too much, except when I turn corners and then I have to be a little more nimble than usual... Cycling is fine too, but uphill might pose issues...

A running pace had been established too and I was psyched to improve my distance, speed, fitness etc...

The fall I took on saturday has changed the next month for me...
Time to rediscover my love of being fluent in handstand,  and remind my hands of finger boards and make an introduction to the Co op campus board...

If the Co op is still there in a month that is...

It's not knitting we do...

The cutting edge of bouldering.

Putting up new lines...

Eoin found a new slab to warm up on and cleaned the scrittley bits of rock and moss and choss away as he climbed. The holds were good and the moves were quality. The top out was covered in heather though. Eoin made use of it and clambered over the top. A new line!

I was eager to follow him up and sure enough, made it to the final move before I became a little off balance. It was clear in the moment that there were two choices - I was either coming off or doing a dyno to catch some heather at the top. I threw for it as I heard gasps below me and caught it. My foothold was good and I breathed a sigh of relief - home and dry...

I thought...

I thought I was copying Eoin's method of topping out, but he later told me that he didn't pull on the heather. I did and it came away in my hands and before I knew it and to my complete surprise I was falling a long way down. We reckoned later that one piece of heather must have come away before the other because I twisted around and came clattering down on my ankle.

I twisted it well and Eoin brought me straight to the river beside us to dunk it in and perhaps contain the swelling...

I think the sorest part of the fall was my nail bending backwards on my hand... that was painful!

The day was a stunner and we relaxed in the sun for most of it. Some climbing was done but no one else tried Eoin's new slab.

'Wicklow Tea' saw a lot of action and everyone found their way up it. 

We headed up to the roof that John had found on the last visit and 'Karaoke Nightmare' got it's fair share of top outs too.

ROBOTS

Both my knees, the palms of my hands, my wrists, my forearms, my right index fingertip, my left shoulder blade and my lower back...

Were scraped to shit and bloodied.

I'm a wreck, but I can't remember the last time I threw myself at a boulder problem without interest in the consequences like I did yesterday afternoon.

Robots is a great slab. It's everything it promises to be... And it's HARD.

I tickled the top about 10 times, but no matter, cause that's the crux. James did likewise and then out of nowhere Dave topped it out, burling his way over. It looks like it's all in the shoulders for that last move.

I snapped the tiny foothold I was using near the top, but that's going to happen and it can be done without it, though my heart sank a little when we looked up and saw the scar on the face.