Climbing a mountain

So, I've said before I'm doing GISHWHES this year, right? We're about halfway through now (just tomorrow and Friday to go!) and I'm loving the challenges, both that I've done and that my teammates (who're just awesome) have done.

I did a big point item yesterday. Worth 147 points. I climbed to the top of Mount Snowdon ( item 26: IMAGE (two images edited side-by-side). Table Mountain, South Africa; Mount Snowdon Wales; Mount Sinai, Egypt; Mt. Fuji, Japan; and Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania are epic peaks. Climb one of them. You must submit two images side by side, one of you in front of the mountain, and the second, with you at the summit, wearing the same clothes, holding up a sign that says: "Everything is easy when you GISHWHES!")

This was a big challenge for me, in a few ways. My family came to North Wales when I was seven, and we were going to attempt the summit. We were going to use the train, but it was too expensive. I was hung-ho for walking it, because I was seven and had no concept of time or distance or effort (I have climbed hills since, like Malvern in Wales and somewhere near the Lake District, and part of Vesuvius) but mum said me and my eight-year-old brother were too small, so we didn't go. I've wanted to do it since then.

I admit, due to health reasons, I got the train this time, which stops a ten minute walk from the summit (so Misha, I did reach the summit on my own! Kinda!) I'm glad I made that decision, my fatigue would never have gotten me to the peak, and nor would my lungs. I'm so disappointed with them. They partially collapsed with the TTP stuff, and I had physio to get them working properly again, and then last year I had chest infections/bronchitis so badly they gave me and inhaler. That's why I only did part of Vesuvius, I got about fifteen minutes from the summit and had a coughing fit so bad I nearly puked. So getting the train lessened the strain, though as soon as I stepped off my chest was tight, my throat felt like it had been sanded raw, and I coughed a lot. But I freaking did it. I got the pictures. I got our points. I completed a 22-year-old wish. I didn't see dragons, but you can't have everything.

So, thank you Misha, for putting that item in there, and completing a childhood wish. I'm sorry my health stopped me going along the walking route (though I did the very bottom for one of the pictures) but I reached the summit, one way or another. And that's what counts, right? You said climb and well, the train helped me do that (if I was wheelchair bound, I wouldn't worry this much! Although, I would never have reached the tiny summit! steep, wonky steps up to a compass point!)

You could see the isle of man from that vantage point. If it wasn't so cloudy, you could have seen Ireland. I don't think my pictures do justice for the scale of how steep and high it was!