Another Trip Another Bone

[Dan]

This time it was my fibula. I went away to climb some mountains in the Pyrenees after Christmas. We made it up the first mountain (Aneto) after several weather delays. We walked over the border into Gavarnie, France and on the approach to Vignemale, I rolled a big loose rock off a steep snow section and fell.

I knew right away that my ankle was broken by the way my foot kept flopping over to the side. For the first while I was really tired and seeing spots. My climbing partner set up a rope and we rapped back down to some stable snow. From their, I crawled down an avalanche slope about a km to a stream while he went to retrieve my pack which had taken a beating. After that he splinted my leg with both of our axes and I hobbled the rest of the way back to a dam with a hut in it.

He ran about 10k to the nearest village and I sat tight and tried to keep my toes from going numb. Sometime in the night a helicopter dropped by and picked me up and I spent 3 days in the hospital in Lourdes where they drilled some metal into my bones. Best Christmas vacation ever.

P.S. If you haven't noticed. I brought a much nicer camera this time.

 

[Rizzo]

You are awesome. That's all I can say dude. I really want to go away on something like that someday. If I get the cash.

 

[Tyguy]

Christ Dan, glad you're ok man but **** you...that looked like a great time (until...ya know)

 

[Rizzo]

Screw that. It only makes it more awesome.

 

[Tyguy]

Screw that. It only makes it more awesome.

agreed, go dan!

 

[Dan]

Total cost was approximately $3500
about $2000 of equipment
$600 plane tickets
$400 travel money
$500 for camera

 

[Raziaar]

Stop breaking your body, fool!

 

[Darkside55]

Don't listen to Raziaar. Looks like it was totally worth it, man. Most people break an ankle for stupid shit. You broke your ankle CONQUERING A MOUNTAIN.

 

[Ennui]

Badass. You're like a real-life Short Recoil. Beautiful pictures too.

 

[Raziaar]

Badass. You're like a real-life Short Recoil. Beautiful pictures too.

He doesn't have to aspire to be a Short Recoil. He's Dan.

Don't listen to Raziaar. Looks like it was totally worth it, man. Most people break an ankle for stupid shit. You broke your ankle CONQUERING A MOUNTAIN.

I only ask that if he break bones, it be the bones of somebody else.

 

[Tyguy]

should have rode your bike up the mountain...what's the deal?

 

[jverne]

That's great....no, not the injury, that suck's big time, but the fact that you're dong fun stuff i always wanted to. I envy you.

 

[Raziaar]

That's great....no, not the injury, that suck's big time, but the fact that you're dong fun stuff i always wanted to. I envy you.

He's living the high life funded by advertising dollars.

 

[jondy]

man, where is short recoil nowadays?

 

[Dan]

Also, insurance bumped me up to 1st class for the plane ride home. It was awesome. All of the flights through Madrid were bogged down so there were people sitting all over the floors of the airport. Meanwhile I sat in a business lounge and had ice cream and sandwiches brought to me. I couldn't enjoy the open bar though. Also the plane seats can turn into beds and they give you really fancy meals with real cutlery.

As for those special security measures: I obviously failed the metal detector. I brought onboard 2 aluminum crutches, never inspected, a bag of syringes, never inspected, and a bag of pills, no prescriptions checked or questions asked. Nobody poked at or looked into my cast despite the fact that it pinged the metal detector and nobody checked any of my medical papers. Everybody traveling hates the US because of the extra security measures that are now in place. On all of the airport announcements about recent changes they make sure to inform everyone that searching everyone was not their idea.

P.S. special thanks to any French citizens. Your tax money paid for my helicopter ride.

 

[Quixoticism]

jondy, I was wondering the same thing.

Tough luck on the broken bones. I hope it heals fully.
Those are some amazing pictures you took there. The first one after the foot looks like it could be from some LotR movie.
You should set up a high res album with all of those bad boys, I wouldn't mind having some of them as a desktop.

 

[Eejit]

Looks awesome, I loved the Pyrenees when I visited though as it was a family trip twas only softcore climbing.
Didja see any of the cool wildlife before reaching the snow line? Boars or bears etc.

 

[Ren.182]

Wow, glad you're ok! Sounds like you had a blast though. Did you take those pictures up there?
Got anymore?

 

[Maestro]

You injury bears a striking resemblance to what my leg looked like when I broke it...

BREAK BROS, DUDE!

HIGH FIVE!

 

[Mellish]

Pretty ****ing impressive man, really want to do something like this some day.

 

[Shyam]

Looks like you had a fun time until the injury happened.

As for those special security measures: I obviously failed the metal detector. I brought onboard 2 aluminum crutches, never inspected, a bag of syringes, never inspected, and a bag of pills, no prescriptions checked or questions asked. Nobody poked at or looked into my cast despite the fact that it pinged the metal detector and nobody checked any of my medical papers. Everybody traveling hates the US because of the extra security measures that are now in place. On all of the airport announcements about recent changes they make sure to inform everyone that searching everyone was not their idea.

What are you doing, stop giving terrorists ideas.

 

[VirusType2]

Wow, that looks heinous; glad you had a bud to help you make it out of there safely.

Beautiful photographs.

 

[Wanted Bob]

I swear I half expected this to be about a one-night stand or something.

In any case, that looks like a wicked trip (for the most part). Hope I get to do that sort of thing once I am outa school.

 

[Danimal]

@Everyone who's all "This is my dream lol I'm jealous you're doing it while I sit here wanking": What's stopping you?

 

[DEATHMASTER]

Responsibilities/laziness I presume. Not to mention being broke.

 

[Danimal]

Use your responsibility to get off your ass and make money, then lol

These problems are illusions in your head!

I am Lugash!

 

[Raziaar]

Anger Management Class! I HATE IT SO MUCH! I spit on it!

 

[jverne]

@Everyone who's all "This is my dream lol I'm jealous you're doing it while I sit here wanking": What's stopping you?

1. Laziness
2. (really close second) Money
3. People who'd do stuff like this with me.


I actually do rock climbing, but not on random walls, just those already with safety pins.
I do some limited hiking, but nothing the scale of Dan.

 

[Dan]

jondy, I was wondering the same thing.

Tough luck on the broken bones. I hope it heals fully.
Those are some amazing pictures you took there. The first one after the foot looks like it could be from some LotR movie.
You should set up a high res album with all of those bad boys, I wouldn't mind having some of them as a desktop.

If anybody wants one, PM me. I am not too keen on putting full res out there until I know what I will do with these photos.

 

[15357]

You're awesome. I envy you.


It's too bad I could never trick my friends to go conquering a mountain or something. They all prefer the city. I hate the city. Too many people.

 

[Krynn72]

That looks like probably the most amazing and inspiring place to break a bone in the world.

 

[jimbo118]

Dan contains more manliness than all the hl2net posters put together.

 

[The Monkey]

Wow, looks like hell of a trip.