Up and running - well, walking about a bit

December already and I can feel the Christmas spirit washing over me. It's been a bit of a challenging year after suffering a prolapsed disc in my lower back early in March. The disc affected my Sciatic Nerve giving rise to the classic symptoms all down my left leg - numbness and PAIN! In between throwing myself on the floor and weeping (in a very manly way) I had occasional periods of simply suffering a really bad backache.
This lasted for 3 months after which things recovered well enough that I could work on several walking tours over the summer. I also had a week in the Alps with Mark and Fidel but the need to carry a heavy rucksack proved a bit too hard on my back - after a few days in the mountains I was forced to calm down. Here are a few photos from the summer.

Upper Val Veny on the Tour de Mont Blanc

Mark on the glacier below the Aiguille du Chardonnet

Reflections in Amalfi

Monte Lattari 1440m above Positano and the Mediterranean

Then, returning in early October, after a month of walking tours in Amalfi for Explore, a relapse took me out again in November. Clearly the walking is good for me and the sitting at computer and driving is not. I paid for it with another month of serious pain.

So,with new resolve, over the weekend I got out for a walk on Kinder Scout, my favourite local hill, with Jill.

Grindslow Knoll on Kinder Scout