Body Aches

... and so begins another weary dayyyyyy, and so begins another weary day!

Oh my word, my poor old body, what on the earth was I thinking?  Most bits ache, but in a really really good, we've done a lot of work kind of a way.  Really good because a lot has been done, and I've not just survived it but actually thrived on it.  Feeling kind of fit and healthy and strong and fatigued in a really good way.  The kind of way that means I can devote tomorrow to swimming in the lake, eating ice cream, drinking coffee and going in search of cake.  It'll be productive, mark my words.

Over the past five days I have done a Lot of learning. 

I have brushed up on abseiling, prussiking, anchoring systems (with an emphasis on alpine not rock climbing techniques).

I have learned short roping, long roping, simultaneous movement over rock (running belay), using landscape features to enhance safety. I have learned self arrest with the ice axe, I have learned how to set up snow anchors with snow stake, axe, in soft or hard snow.  I have learned how to escape from a belay system without just cutting the rope and letting my partner drop to the ground.  There has been simulated crevasse rescue.  I have learned the rudiments of avalanche risk, degree of slope angles, weather conditions, type of snow, bond between old and new snow.  I have learned about sport climbing and about via ferrata.  There have been knots.  There has been navigation.  I have led, I have followed.  I have panted like a dog and crawled on my hands and knees.  It has been good.