Wendy & Ray on a training walk in preparation for Nepal, well Mum really, Dad took photo

Healed clinically & radiologically, 37 days 17 hours 12 mins after Edale...

So I'm back, no operation required due to good bone growth. Now the fun starts with the physiotherapy guys on getting my ROM (Range of movement) back - some areas sitting at only 20 degrees.

Very very chuffed though!

Anyone need an engine on the back of their tandem for the Cape Argus?

He never lost a man

On Christmas Eve 1968, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders took their Apollo 8 spacecraft around the back of the Moon and fired its SPS engine to, for the first time, orbit the Moon. This was a bold mission. The LM wasn’t ready, so couldn’t be tested in Earth orbit, as was planned. Mission planners decided (under some pressure from Soviet advances) to send the CSM to the Moon to test navigation and communications and to demonstrate manouvers such as trans-lunar and trans-earth injection.

It was on this mission that Jim Lovell, later Commander of Apollo 13, named ‘Mount Marilyn’ in honour of his wife. Lovell was fated to pass the Moon twice, but never to land. His leadership of Apollo 13 is regarded as similar to the leadership Ernest Shackleton offered on the Endurance expedition in 1914-1916. He never lost a man.

It was on this mission that people first saw ‘Earth rise’. Reading the astronauts’ words (mission elapsed time 075:47:30) as they come over the lunar horizon to see the Earth rising gives some idea of the excitement they felt. Imagine. The photographs they took are now iconic and perhaps, as much as anything, kick-started the environmental movement.

Apollo 8 is also famed for a moving reading from Genesis the astronauts made as they entered Lunar sunrise.


“086:06:40 Anders: We are now approaching lunar sunrise, and for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send to you.

In the beginning, God created the Heaven and the Earth.
And the Earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, and God said, “Let there be light.”
And there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good, and God divided the light from the darkness.

086:07:29 Lovell: And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.
And the evening and the morning were the first day. And God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters. And let it divide the waters from the waters.” And God made the firmament and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

086:08:07 Borman: And God said, “Let the waters under the Heavens be gathered together into one place. And let the dry land appear.” And it was so. And God called the dry land Earth. And the gathering together of the waters called he seas. And God saw that it was good.

And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas and God bless all of you - all of you on the good Earth.”

The hammer and feather

The hammer and feather were dropped by Dave Scott near the end of Apollo 15's last Moonwalk. In a demonstration, he showed that, with no atmosphere and air resistance, the hammer and feather fell at the same speed and hit the ground at the same time "proving that Mr Galileo was correct in his findings". The hammer and feather remain on the Moon.

Sir Edmund Hillary, conquerer of Everest - by David Roberts

Isn't this just a fantastically strong photo of Sir Ed!
It was taken by David Roberts in New Zealand

Are you a beacon of inspiration to others?

The Shackleton Foundation from The Shackleton Foundation on Vimeo.

21 days - countdown to Cape Argus cycle tour

So yes I'm a nutter, but C'est La Vie!

It's the Cape Argus Cycle Tour on the 8th of March - so far 40,017 entries!

Could I still do it?

It will have been 7 weeks since the accident?

What about on a tandem?

Well am taking it one week at a time, but pragmatically am thinking a little bit further down the road...

Nepal trek (41 days countdown) with Wendy and Ray and maybe, yes just maybe there is still a chance to climb Shishapangma! (65 days countdown)

Shisha had been my main objective this year - was going to change seasons and try in April/May rather than September/October when I did the last two attempts.

Will keep you posted as t0 my thoughts - there is also still a lot of speculation as to whether the Chinese are going to issue permits for Tibet!

Note that I will need to be off the mountain before the monsoon ariives - see the section on monsoons on wiki

1st Physio session

Met John & Jamie at the St Mary's physiotherapy gym. Was only a detailed consultation at this stage as still waiting for more stability (bone growth) in the Humerus. But now have a set of daily exercises to promote movement in the arm and shoulder.

It’s very clear that I will need to focus in detail on the specific exercises as one naturally uses other muscles to "cover" for the ones that are not performing - this could lead to bad habits!

Positive news - bone growth

Well there is definitely signs of bone growth on the x-rays. The 17 degree bend has also almost gone. So that’s really good news!

Muscle atrophy over the shoulder is marked though, so went for an ultra sound scan to check attachment of tendons to the bone - again no bad news as all looks intact!

Have scheduled next consult with Mr Adam Rumian on Monday 23rd February.

"A man must shape himself to a new mark directly the old one goes to ground"

Quote from Sir Ernest Shackleton after the loss of the Endurance on 27 October 1915

So we think we are having a difficult time - credit crunch etc?

Am I really in such bad shape - broken humerus?

hmmmmmm....

A bit more detail...

A real inspiration while recuperating

This video really inspired me today.

I'm definitely going back to Shisha.

It's a real shame it might not be this year.

But I'm definitely going back to see the view from the top.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!