To spite his face!!

This week has been quite mild and clear, so the skiing has been a bit naff off piste, although we have had a couple of good tours out of the ski area before the snow became to crusty. To mix things up a bit we went ice climbing with one of our staff mates to a 60m ice fall above the next village up valley. This was our first trip here but Paul (our driver) has been coming here all winter. Being a mild day the ice was quite brittle and shattered off in big chunks while being climbed. As long as prudence and care was taken it could still be climbed safely, and this is what we did. But while Ben was seconding the top section a large plate of ice about the size of a dinner plate sheared off after an axe placement above him and fell on to his head. He looked down and the ice plate deflected off his helmet and slid down his front. Unfortunately the sharp bladed edge of ice sliced through the top of his nose leaving a chunk of skin flapping and a whole lot of blood spaying everywhere. After swearing a lot in a few languages, using words that his grandmother shouldn’t hear, he finished the climb and descended so Karen could patch him up. A short trip to the doctors after stopping for lunch and a coffee and the wound was cleaned and re dressed exactly as Karen had dressed it and He was sent on his way. Now with a stupid looking dressing covering his nose and a burning desire to buy a face shield for his climbing helmet!!

Internet is go at home! Email us!!