Thursday, December 27, 2007

My Christmas Present to me!


, originally uploaded by ladyhedda.

Today we were up at the crack of dawn being fitted with crampons and issued ice axes. That's right, someone knowingly gave me an axe, and then they took me onto a glacier to climb massive walls of ice.

There's a certain knack to swinging those axes into the wall. It's a bit like a hammer swing, with a flick of the wrist, and then they grab the ice and you stab your toes into the wall and use the legs to push yourself up. It's hard work and a strange feeling standing on a near vertical wall of ice, on just your tippy toes.

Being on the glacier itself was fantastic (and bloody cold) - I am now ready to get warm, where are the hot springs when you really need them?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

hedda that is absolutely incredible,,,,i know i'm wearing out the "I"word but your puictures take my breath away,,,and so i'm left stammeruiring and muttering some semi legible utterances trying to express to you how much in awe i am with YOU! now that is truly a great christmas present

Unknown said...

Well done Hedda! That's a pretty brave thing to do seeing as you're none to keen on heights. We're envious!