Sore, tired, but loving it

So there was no slow-mo flailing or falling from the rope or anything else disasterous.

What did happen, though was good and fun, and I've got the bruises to prove it! I am feeling a little tender, I can hardly move without being in pain, but I made it to the second sump down at -160m. I even made it to just after the pitch at the emptied first sump without getting wet, so much better than any time before. I didn't come out of there too dry, but who cares?

Good to be back underground - good to be so sore.

First real pitch at Dersios

Photo by Nikos Mitsakis, processing by me

Fear

So they had a guy from SPELEO talking about the Caver's fears last week at the Panhellenic Meeting, and I think the end result was basically that we fear the unknown, which is essentially saying that we fear fear itsef.

Truth is, I've overcome a number of fears since starting out with the caving - mainly the tight places one and a little bit the whole heights thing.

Which brings us to this weekend. I'm going back to the pothole with which I am most familiar, and in which I have spent more hours than any other this weekend, and for weeks, I have been seeing myslef losing grip off edges and falling in slow motion, arms flailing. I never see myself get hurt, hit the bottom, reestablish balance or composure - just flailing in slowmo as if this is an end in and of itself.

Like K says, obviously, I just have to go there and go up and down a few times past all these places where I have seen myself fall. I haven't been underground since July at Fterolakkas, and I just feel like it's a bit of a long time to be out of the saddle.

The link is to SELAS - where I learnt the SRT...