~ Curator’s Field Notes ~

Relearning to paddle my own canoe: Regaining independence after a complex injury.
Mountaineering, Recovery, Injury, Matterhorn, Matterhorned, Resilience, Fortitude, Perseverance Chris Shirley MA PGCert GCGI FRGS Mountaineering, Recovery, Injury, Matterhorn, Matterhorned, Resilience, Fortitude, Perseverance Chris Shirley MA PGCert GCGI FRGS

Relearning to paddle my own canoe: Regaining independence after a complex injury.

One of the hardest things I experienced during my recovery from a mountaineering injury, was to be physically and spiritually supported by my partner, family and friends.

I was in a wheelchair when I first left hospital. My partner had to push me around when I wasn’t strong enough to go more than a few metres on the crutches. Whilst I had completed ultramarathons like the Marathon des Sables the previous year; my fitness had utterly deteriorated from the 3 months in a hospital bed – so I had to rely on her to help in almost all daily activities.

Read More