Lucky to be alive

This is dejevu for me. Back in 1988 I had a fall from the top of Ruapehu on the Turoa Side. Slid about 200m down boiler plate ice onto rocks. There wasn't a hope of doing a self arrest, I tried until the viabrations took the ice axe from my hand. I was lucky in that I slid down and then hit the rocks sideways and rolled onto the rocks. Spent two nights in hospital and was black and blue all over. The only broken bone was in my hand by my little finger. If I had hit end on then I would have done a lot more damage. John Funnell who was the rescue chopper pilot then said he was expecting to pick up a body. It looks like this fella cartwheeled down, which would be much more damaging.

I had a very short slide on Sastrugi yesterday and have a bruise here or there and a scratch on the ribs... As my Mountain-Goat-Zen-Friend says: "self arrest is all good and well, but no falling is better". How about Mr-Broken-Both-Ankles of last night too! http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2841477/Ruapehu-fall-survivor-called-for-help