The end of the road? 5

This entry was posted on by

August 18th

I nearly gave this blog the heading “Disaster”, but it is not quite that.

Low cloud and some rain this morning,  so we gave up all hope of doing Piz Badile and other summits.  Instead, we would traverse along the Via Roma long distance path to the next hut (Rifugio Allievi).

After about 90 minutes I tried to take a short cut in a fairly steep boulder field but somehow slipped and fell awkwardly, crashing my face against a boulder.  A cut just next to my left eye and lots of blood.  No option but to return to the hut, with a makeshift bandage kindly provided by a German couple also on the path.

At the hut they cleaned me up, said it didn’t look too bad but immediately called a helicopter!

Peter decided to return to the car in Bondo, reversing what we did 2 days ago.

The helicopter took me to a hospital in Sondalo, between Tirano and Bormio.

Here I was kept waiting quite a while on a stretcher with an uncomfortable brace round my neck and had to fill in forms.  In due course I was wheeled into the radiography department for scans and X-rays.  Then after another long wait, they told me the results:  brain, left eye, neck, spine, etc all OK, but there were fractures of the cheek bone, which might require further treatment.  I chose to have this done back home in Switzerland.  Then they treated the wound – a few stitches – gave me a detailed medical report and the X-ray photos and let me go.

At 6 p.m. an old friend, Fritz Hagmann,  collected me and took me to his home in Pontresina;  over 90 minutes drive each way.

Result:  I will be unable to continue for at least a week.

5 thoughts on “The end of the road?”

  • David Leishman

    Oh Rupert! What bad luck, & were you just in too much of a hurry? You seem to be hitting some pretty foul weather, more like here in the Highlands, though noit too bad of late.

    2 weeks ago, for the 2nd time, I tried to see the view from the top of the Merrick in the Galloway Hills – a Corbett -, but no such luck; even murkier then the last time a few years back.

    Wishing you a swift recovery, pal!
    D

  • Urs

    So sorry to hear of this “incident de route”. I’m sure they will plaster you up; or maybe the moment for plastic surgery? Main thing is that your head’s OK. Wish you good recovery, Urs and Anne.

  • Nona

    Sad mishap
    Head wounds bleed a lot but heal quickly
    Never argue w boulders!!
    Recover quick and continue your fun adventure!!
    Good luck
    Nona

  • Ursula Demma

    Vraiment désolée Rupert, pas de chance. Chaque mardi ou jeudi, lors de la randonnée, les participants parlent avec beaucoup d’admiration de tes exploits, tu es devenu notre sujet de conversation incontournable, et il y a beaucoup d’entre nous qui attendent les nouvelles sur ton blog tous les jours. Comme tu vois, tu n’auras pas le choix : il faut guérir vite pour que nous puissions continuer à suivre ton chemin à distance. Bon et rapide rétablissement !
    Ursula et tout le groupe de “Randonnées alpines”

Comments are closed.