UKC

Well next week is the big day. Its been just over 12 months now since having surgery to have a big plate and screws fitted to my arm after a bad mountain bike crash (which snapped my radius bone through the middle and also resulted in fractured wrists) and next week i'm going to attempt to hit the climbing wall in Liverpool for the first time.

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/507/2803/1600/DSC00889.jpg

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/507/2803/1600/DSC00886.jpg

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/507/2803/1600/DSC00925.jpg

I've managed to retain a level of fitness through continued mountain biking and hiking in the last 6 months (and slowly building the arm back up using the powerball etc) but its been hard work trying to restore movement/ muscle bulk and i'm not overly confident on how it will handle twists, turns and pulls under my full body weight. I can already feel the pain and i havent got there yet. No doubt the finger muscles will have reduced to puss as well but i'm determined to get stuck in and go for it. I was never a brilliant climber, in fact i was more of a novice having spent an eternity scrambling, but i feel like part of my existence is missing and i cant wait to get back and give it a shot. Bring it on, forward thinking, its the only way..

In reply to psychs:

that's a very neat scar!

In reply to psychs:

Gross, I had something similar but about half the size scar, brings back old bad memories! it does clean up nicely though! Mine has faded in nicely. I actually snapped through both bones (and twisted them 45 degrees I think?) so I have a scar at the back also which has a quite big muscle tissue layer which shouldnt be there!

Have fun! Don't push yourself, if you feel any pain, retreat immediately you don't want to waste youre last 12 months waiting by giving it a bash and waiting another 12 for it to recover!

p.s. it will always feel slightly different when you bash it from now on (and hurts alot more when bashed even after 3 years!)

In reply to psychs:

Get back on there and have fun.

I had a double whammy on my left arm (cancer in 1990 - load of muscle removed and important nerve cut & ATB accident in 200? - nasty collarbone break) so it is now pretty f*cked . However I still earn a living as a mountain instructor - go to Awesome Walls on a semi rewgular basis to0 train really really hard to be a mediocre climber and still get on on routes regularly and enjoy myself.

Whatever you injury - you will find that you adapt your climbing style to compensate.

Dont beat yourself up too much about grades - just get back on the rock/plastic and have fun.

The biggest disability to climbing that I know in people is where their head is at - I know some relatively fit people whose attitude is their biggest disability - if you want to climb with a gammy arm - you will do so and enjoy it.

Perhaps we could link up at awesome - we should have one decent set of arms between us

Have fun

David

Looks like we are all in the wars heh.. good to see everyone getting out there and getting stuck in though and having a top time whatever the injury. I know what you mean though, you cant let it mess with ya head. See this is what the outdoor scene is all about, people who know what to live for..