Struck by lightning on the Aiguille du Chardonnet - 12546ft (3824m) | ||||||||||||
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Introduction | ||||||||||||
-Lightning strike | ||||||||||||
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My eyes opened, my face was pressed into some rocks. I was upside down with my head down a rocky slope and I was bent in two, my legs lying awkwardly on top of me. My right arm was pinned under me, my left lay unnaturally behind my back. I couldn't feel or move any of my limbs. In fact I was unable to even tilt my head to see how far I'd fallen. My face felt strange. I didn't know where I was or what had happened. I was slowly regaining consciousness after having fallen down the mountainside. Shocked, scared and very confused I slowly shifted my eyes to gaze up the rock strewn slope. I looked upwards as far as I was able but I couldn't see the ridge crest. I guessed that I'd fallen some distance. My mind was racing. The fall must have broken my neck. Mercifully at least I felt no pain. I was really frightened by how badly broken my body must be. Once unconscious I must have tumbled down the mountain like a rag doll. So precipitous is the south face, it was possible that I had fallen 1000ft (610m) or more. I wondered how long it might take JC to get down to me, if he could climb down the rocks at all. I felt very lonely indeed. JC could never rescue me. Whatever happened next, at best it would be many hours before a rescue team could reach me. I might have to spend the night out on the mountainside. I could easily freeze to death. If I was bleeding badly I wouldn't last long. I didn't think I was bleeding but then I felt nothing at all. I fervently hoped that I wasn't. Mentally I steeled myself for whatever ordeal lay ahead and I resolved to do all I could to stay alive till help arrived. These thoughts occurred in the few seconds immediately after regaining consciousness. As my thinking became more measured, I cast my mind back, trying to force myself to remember what had happened. It took a few seconds but then I remembered a little. I had been standing right on the edge of the south face, but I had been so careful. Had the edge given way? Had I slipped? What on earth happened? While desperately trying to remember, to my surprise, I suddenly heard JC shouting, 'Geoff, are you alive'. He didn't sound too far away and my heart leapt. I was so glad to hear him and the sound of his voice filled me with hope. If he was still climbing then I had a good chance of making it. If JC could get this close to me then so could a rescue team. But it was frightening that JCs priority was only to determine if I was alive or not. It seemed to confirm my worst fears about how badly hurt I might be. I remembered some more. Yes, I had been standing by the edge of the south face but quite securely. As I then recalled the painful electrical activity we'd experienced earlier I realised that we must have suffered what we most feared; a lightning strike. I shouted back to JC with difficulty, my face was numb and I couldn't feel my lips to form the words easily... 'yes, but I can't move, I'll have to lie here to recover'. 'Me too' he shouted back. Once again I tried to move and found I could move my toes slightly. It gave me hope that feeling might return to me. A minute or two passed when neither of us spoke, each preoccupied with our own struggles. I was concentrating on trying to move. Then I became aware of a strong smell. Though strangely familiar I couldn't place it straight away. It reminded me of fireworks or something similar. Then I recognised it, the smell of burnt hair. It helped confirm what I'd already guessed had happened. We had been hit by lightning. I sensed a little more feeling in my leg and I was able to move it slightly. I made my movements very carefully in case I had injuries I just couldn't feel. I found I was able to tilt my head slightly and look further up the slope. I could see the ridge crest just 30ft (10m) away and to my relief saw that I was still tied to JC with our rope. I moved both my legs a bit and tried to bring them below me. My slight movement had started me sliding down the rocks so I ceased my efforts immediately. I slid to a stop. I needed to have my hands working to prevent myself from falling further down the rocks. So I waited, crumpled helplessly, utterly stunned by the enormity of what had happened to me. JC encouraged me to try and move up to him. He was able to pull a little on the rope and got it tight between us. I tried moving again and was able to wiggle my legs under me and get into a safer position. My efforts seemed to have helped feeling return and I was able to hold the rope weakly with my hands and arms. I spent the next two or three minutes half crawling and half hanging on the rope as I made my way up steep but easy rock. Nothing was working properly and it was a struggle even with JC hauling from above. However as I clawed my way up more feeling returned to my limbs. When I joined JC on the small platform on top of the ridge I was able to grip better with my hands and move both arms and legs. I wasn't aware of any serious injury but my mobility would need to improve greatly if I was going to climb down the mountain. | ||||||||||||
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