A Friend and Fellow Sufferer

Suffering is a big part of mountaineering. Most of it is low amplitude suffering - like eating trail food, sleeping in cramped quarters and carrying lots of weight on your back.

But some of it can be (much) higher amplitude. Here's a picture of a foot - a new friend of mine's foot - during his recent operation to correct damage like I recently did to mine.

His fall was similar to mine - he crushed the same bone I did . The difference is that his subtalar joint was "displaced", where mine was not.

Displaced. That's the nice word for "stinkin' extremely messed up".

He and I have discussed our love for mountaineering, climbing, skiing and in general all things related to the mountains and wild places. So I know how sick he's been - thinking that his future may not include these pursuits. I've been sick about it myself.

I'm hoping and praying that he'll make a full recovery and get back at it - as I intend to!