Just after, hitting the trail, I managed to step off the trail, thinking a tuft of grass was part of the trail. I lurched towards the river seeing stars. I felt a pain that I hadn't felt in a long time.....and knew my ankle would soon blow up like a balloon. I quickly sat and stuffed my foot in the glacial river. Alison wrapped my foot in a compression wrap. Knowing I have a high pain tolerance I knew it would be bad when I got dizzy and saw stars when I twisted it.

When we arrived for lunch and I undressed my foot to see a huge purple grapefruit, chaos ensued. The porters were stressed. They all wanted to help with local medicine. Kaka (brother in Balti, not sure of the spelling) Habib, who has done 9 expeditions to this area, and is the man carrying and carefully setting up our tents, looked on with a furrowed brow. These Porters look at us as their family. They take pride and care and passion in a job that is very hard work and little reward. Their spirit is indescribable.

I wrapped my swollen, purple ankle and squeezed my foot into my ski boots. While providing support, proved to be painful. The micro motions and balances that use all the muscles and tendons surrounding the ankle when skiing combined with the swelling and bruising and compression of ski boots, was quite an experience. When we arrived back at basecamp my swollen toes poked like little piggies from beneath the compression wrap. And today my ankle is colorfully striped with bruises that have migrated to my toes and my calf thanks to the pressure of the ski boot!!