What Goes Up, Must Come Down: How Climbing Mount Snowdon Changed My Outlook On Life

So by now you’ve probably read about the challenge I set myself recently. If not, you can find it here.

We ended my last post with me thinking about the importance of standing on the summit for 30 seconds. We’re now about to make the journey down. Hold onto your seats, it gets a little bumpy!

After reaching the summit, I joined forces with my Mum Donna and Auntie Yvonne. We grabbed a quick bite to eat, I sent my other half, Mike, a postcard from the top and off we went. As we headed off I felt a little guilty. I knew what I’d just been through and they didn’t know the half of it, “the views are stunning, and wait to you see the sheep”. Well not mention the sheer drops and nightmare path we’re about to climb down.

About 30 minutes into the descent we started to come out of the clouds and could finally see what was going on around us. That was the first time we actually stopped to take in the views.

I pointed to a little building in the middle distance and explained that was our halfway point and it’s going to take us about 1-1.5 hours to get there from where we were. Everyone seemed happy enough and off we went again.

Yvonne taking the lead, me in the middle and my mum bringing up the rear. Mum’s a good half a foot shorter than Yvonne and myself so she’s not quite as quick but I’ll tell you now, she was an absolute star on the day. So proud to have done this with both of them. Sometimes you just need people around you to really make the adventures special and the memories last.

Having just come up this path I was aware that some of the rocks were uneven, loose and somewhat hazardous. I warned the others and we took extra care. This is when my world spun in slow motion. I stepped on a rock to test how firm it was, thought it fine and pushed down with all my weight. Unfortunately for me the rock wasn’t so secure and I felt my body falling.

With a 400 foot drop to my right, nothing to grab onto, I hit the ground and felt myself bounce. then I slid. I dug my heels in deep, tried to grab anything and hoped for the best. Thankfully apart from cuts, grazes and bruised hands and butt, I was fine but it could have been a whole lot differently.

I scrambled to my feet and turned to look at my mum for assurance. It’s funny how I’m a 31 year old, strong and independent woman and I looked for my mum to reassure me I was ok, “You bounced like a space hopper!”.

I couldn’t help but laugh. I was expecting a scared face, a ‘my only child could have died’ face or at least an “are you ok?” but no. I got compared to a toy from the 60’s bouncing down a mountain.

After dusting myself off and cleaning my cuts (I was well prepared with a first aid kit) we started up again. If I wasn’t hurting before, I was now, and at this stage there really is no going back.

For the next hour or so we climbed down slowly but steadily until we reached the halfway point. A welcome sight for sore eyes, and feet, legs, butt, back…

A 10 minute break, a quick hello to some random people and off we headed on the last part of our adventure. I couldn’t help but liken us all to the 3 Hobbits in Lord of the Rings.

Over the next couple of miles we battled aching bodies and a couple of sore ankles. We didn’t stop to talk much and I think the scene got lost behind a wall of aches and determination to get this done and dusted.

As we approached the end of our journey my spirits rose. ‘I’ve done it. We’ve done it. against all odds, the 3 of us actually did it!’

I could see the gate I’d entered at the beginning of the Llanberis Path Trail and it was almost over. I’d proved to myself that once again my limits are only in my head and they can be broken. My head will give up way before my body ever will. But I’ve done it.

On the way back I managed to get a picture of the rock I sat and cried on the way up. It’s a reminder that it’s ok to stop and collect yourself as long as you keep going.

With the joys of Ankylosing Spondylitis and Rheumatoid Arthritis, I knew that the next few days would be just as difficult. I knew that my body would start closing down as it always does after a challenge and i knew I was in for a world of pain and post achievement internal torture but I was prepared and I would do it all again.

The pain and inability to walk properly lasted 4 days in the end but I’m so glad I did because now I can set new limits, plan new adventures and conquer new heights. Base Camp, Mount Everest looks interesting. Who knows, watch this space…

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