I got injured my right leg on 27th March, when I went to a sea cliff crack climbing in Kagoshima.
This is how it happened... I was previously driving my car for about 5 hours, and the sea cliff was only 5 min down from where we parked.
I was carrying extra heavy load of my pack, since I had two sets of my regular sized cams, and big cams and smaller aliens... literally everything I own. So the pack must have been about 22kg or something around. I felt it was a bit heavy, but I am usually ok with that much weight... it was about the same weight that I carried to Taiwan.
But in retro spec. the difference was that I had not enough warm-up... driving my car all by myself 5 hours, my body was stiff.
And the short distance to the sea cliff where I was to climb, did NOT prepare my body properly.
Climbers are always saying "Oh, well, I'll do my warm-up on easy climb." That was what I thought, too, but I got my injures even before I get to the route... on the walking.
When I got injured my right calf, I first felt very uncomfortable to walk around the sea cliff of huge rocks... the size of cars... since I hate jumping rock to rock with my heavy pack.
It was like Ogawayama's river crossing... when we were to climb Mara Rock and such... and I always have a harder time than other guys who have no trouble jumping among the big rocks... in my case, I have always hard time... because I have a lighter body, especially with my backpack, heavy with my climbing gears.
I just can't jump as far as I usually can with my heavy pack. So I usually find something different... a new way to cross the river, where I can step by step. Or I just put my legs into the water. Big jump is nono.
Anyway, I felt the same way in the Kishira sea cliff... the rocks were too far apart to jump, but my partner going ahead was confident to use that pass. He was not driving and his pack was not as heavy as mine.
Anyway, I had to jump from rock to rock, and I felt acute pain in my right calf when I jump and landed a little closer so it was not a top of the rock that is flat, I landed on steeper surface... I first felt it was something bad but I might get away with it if I rested for a while.
I told my partner about my injures but ...
To my sadness, he said "I have a party coming on on Friday night". That was the first thing he said after I told him my injury. We were in Kagoshima, 5 hour drive from Fukuoka and the driver was me, it was also my car. He had a party. I had none. So I was to go home that night alone.
Now back in the crag, he was eager to show me the rocks since it was the place he wanted to introduce to me. He was also eager to let me climb. I was having a pain and I told I must rest since I got pulled my calf too strong...
I think at this point we, I mean both he and me were unaware of the seriousness of my injury.
I lead climbed 5.7 crack so easily and went on 5.8 but this one needed on tension, and I moved on to 5.9 which I thought it was easy and comfortable for me, and it was.
But the problem was after that. He was still eager to let me climb... but I told him it is too painful to just to walk. He'd waited.
The two routes that he wanted me to climb started from a slight overhang and to climb that I had to stretch my legs to do the twist move, and I just could not. I totally realized my leg is different from usual.
So I said definitely no to my partner's asking me to go to other place to climb. I just said it is too painful to just to walk.
Again he was just disappointed and not at all considerate to my condition.
So we got back to my car, and since we had no plan at all and the place was too country side, no store at all, even a convenience store, so I suggested we go to Onsen(hot spring, public bath) 10 min drive from the cliff and ask if there is any good place to have a dinner or buy our food.
I was ready with my cooking gear and so in case I have to sleep in my car, but had no food. So we went to Onsen, my right leg was swollen so I let it cool a bit. I was expecting water tub and hot tub, usually bath house have both, but this time I was unlucky that they got only hot tub. So I did not stay long.
We got a little food there and slept on road side. I thought that was out best to do. Since that night was rain.
We planed to climb 4 days but the weather forecast told us the rest of the days will rain... so I knew I should be going home the next day.
The next day, I wanted to go home and my partner wanted to show me around the land. He took the road he himself never been and it was just boring tiring winding road, with no view at all, and road was so bad... rocks everywhere... it was obvious that the road has not been used, no much traffic at all.
I was the only driver so I was very tired driving that ruined winding road... when the road so winding you have to have concentration not like you are driving free way. I was exhausted.
So I had to stop once in a while to rest. The winding road is least my favorite road but you can not get away with it if you are doing mountain. So I accepted it but it was jut waste of our time. Nothing to see. No fun at all.
I was very nearly a point of my putting up and so I suggested my partner that we go to Touji (serial stay in hot spa, to cure sickness) since it is raining already and staying a tent or a car in a rainy day all day long does not make sense in this situation... my leg is just too painful just to walk, and we need a shelter.
He still want to show me the next crag called Ondake. So I had to go. I was so irritated by this time since it is only me actually functioning to put things forward and he was only like a "I insist".
After seeing Ondake, my obligation I felt, we finally drove up to a Touji where I found, they let you stay in cheap place like 2600 yen or so.
As soon as I arrived and have a access to wifi, witch I did not have in the sea cliff, I searched about my leg, to know exactly what happened and what I should do.
By the search it was obvious that I should go home and see a doctor. So I told my partner, that the place we are staying is only 15 min away from public transportation so he can just go to the party by himself. He was still unconvinced that he should do that. He asked me if I can drop his back pack to his house. No way with my legs! I thought. So I told him that he can come to my place to pick it up later on.
Next day, he still insisted on we going for a sightseeing... so I told him again my injury was more severe than he thought. He was just a such stubborn, not listening to me at all, just telling me his convenience. He said he has been to the place many time so it is not he wanted to go, it's for me. I was about to explode but I barely hold.
It's just me trying to find a compromise.
I was about to scram at that point. Because I repeatedly told him I have a pain even just to walk. And every time I say that he just dismisses... there is nothing we can do about it, it is your body not mine, was his attitude. We were just waiting to time to pass by so he can attend the party, meanwhile I can not see a doctor.
When the third day, I finally told my partner I am going home. He was suddenly changed his mind, cancelled his attending on the party and joined me to go home.
I don't know if it is because he realized how bad my leg was or it is simply cheaper to come along with me, but I was so eager to go home and my anger was about to explode, if he did not let me.
I was still the driver and I had to drop him off in front of his house.
Later that day, I saw a doctor near my home, and he said I should have come sooner within 48 hours from the moment of injury is the crucial time for tore muscle.
I was very angry about my partner's attitude of my injury. Since he kept insisting his right to go to party and was not at all considerate to my body. Plus afterward I told him my leg need at least one month to get better and his reply was not at all kind... just telling me "contact me get when you get better". Hahh? HE should contact me to check if I am better, if he is the one using me.
I insisted his apology and he apologized but he said it was misjudgment from his long time experience. Arrogance! I felt so I decided not to climb with him.
I am still angry about this attitude. Since he is so proud of his almost 60 years of experience.
If misjudgment came from experience, that experience is wrong. It should say rather lack of experience.
So I concluded in this case, it was a lack of respect of human body. Men in alpine climbing compete who is stronger and be able to put up pain... I don't.
So in the end I realized I was being used as an easy driver and not treated as a climbing partner at all.
I was really sad but at the same time happy that a bad partner has been revealed before I got into a serious injury like bone broke. In the climbing, you can die, seriously, not joking. So selecting a right partner is key to success.
Obviously this case, my partner considered me as his below not equal.
My leg is getting better and better, past 3 days but it's been so bad at first 12 days... it was swollen so much I could not see the bone of my toe.
It is going to take 1 month to get wound to heal and 2 month to full recovery.
So till I fully recover, I can not work, I can not walk, I can not climb of course. I haven't heard from him since them. Cold heated I think.
Apr. 30. 3 days after.
This is a week after still swollen.
15 days after injury. Now getting better.
my leg getting skinnier.
It still dark like this but the pain gotten better,
for about 10days I couldn't sleep with pain.
■ The Bivy
