Walking Forum

Main Boards => General Walking Discussion => Topic started by: fernman on 21:20:22, 01/08/19

Title: I took a tumble today
Post by: fernman on 21:20:22, 01/08/19
Halfway around today's 9-miles circuit I was walking inside the edge of a beechwood on a 4ft-wide level and flat path that was surfaced with decomposed leaves and woodland detritus.
I was admiring the scenery ahead of me when the toe of my boot caught on a cunningly disguised length of tree root that projected just above the surface.
My poles failed to stop me going over and within about two seconds I was stretched full out kissing the ground.
Nothing was damaged other than my pride, although I felt shaky for a while afterwards, and I must admit that since I returned home the side I fell on is aching a damn sight more than the other side.
I guess other members have suffered similar mishaps?
Title: Re: I took a tumble today
Post by: jimbob on 21:41:48, 01/08/19
Commiserations. Took a bad double slip doing the Great Glen Way, causing me to pack it in. Taken a month to get going again without a lot of pain in my adductor muscle.
A friend slipped last week, also on a tree root, walking in Norfolk. Two days later a very swollen ankle was diagnosed as broken.
Title: Re: I took a tumble today
Post by: lostme1 on 22:03:01, 01/08/19
Bad luck. Hope the aches ease soon. I turned to admire the view on the South Downs Way and twisted my ankle on a loose flint and ended up flat on the ground.  My ankle swelled up and I still had over two miles to hobble to the end as  there was no way the car could be brought nearer to me.

The only good point was I wasn't on my own so at least I had someone to drive the 100 miles home  Don't know what I would have done if I have been solo walking as a foot on the accelator for 2.5 hours would have been impossible.
Title: Re: I took a tumble today
Post by: Pitboot on 22:05:39, 01/08/19
Ouch. It could happen to any of us, you have my sympathy. GWS as they say!
Title: Re: I took a tumble today
Post by: ninthace on 22:11:57, 01/08/19
Most of us who walk a lot have been there at one time or another.  All I can say is without my poles, I would have been there a lot more often. Take a decent whisky - it may not alleviate the pain but it will make the suffering worthwhile.
Title: Re: I took a tumble today
Post by: harland on 22:15:21, 01/08/19
Ouch. It could happen to any of us,
It has happened to a lot of us lately!
Title: Re: I took a tumble today
Post by: BuzyG on 22:34:41, 01/08/19
Well practiced in the art of falling over.  Managed to wack my left knee on the climbing wall this evening too.  A flannel an a pack of frozen please still does the trick.  O0
Title: Re: I took a tumble today
Post by: richardh1905 on 23:01:28, 01/08/19
Happened once this year, once last year. Stumbled on a loose rock on the farm track that leads up to our house; a moment's inattention, and thumped my kneecap - slowed me down for a few weeks (I 'Nordic Walked' the Parkrun the following Saturday) but I seem to have recovered now.

Last year's was more embarrassing - I was on a very quiet minor road when a delivery truck appeared and slowed down so that the driver could ask me directions. Distracted, I put my foot into one of those little drainage channels that are dug to drain water off the road, and next thing I knew I was face down on the tarmac, trousers shredded, blood pouring from knee, right in front of the driver! Was still able to give him directions to the farm he wanted, even though I was 25 miles from home.
Title: Re: I took a tumble today
Post by: sussamb on 23:03:08, 01/08/19
It has happened to a lot of us lately!


Seems that way  ;D
Title: Re: I took a tumble today
Post by: Lee in Doncaster on 08:12:58, 02/08/19
It's usually on the easy sections when I'm not concentrating. My worst recent fall was when walking on a newly laid section of driveway, after heavy rain the limestone chippings just rolled away under my feet.
Title: Re: I took a tumble today
Post by: gunwharfman on 12:27:54, 02/08/19
Happens to me all the time. Why is it though we never fall gracefully, I always go down like a sack of potatoes. My smelliest one was walking through cows with a steam in the field. I stepped to go down a bank, the earth gave way and I was into the stream, into all of the cow slurry as well. Boy did I smell!

I was lucky though, I walked into the next field (empty) here the stream water was clear, took all my clothes off, washed them and me, then waited until they were dry enough to wear again. No one was about so had a lazy afternoon.
Title: Re: I took a tumble today
Post by: jimbob on 13:05:20, 02/08/19
So now we know who the naked rambler is. ;D ;D
Title: Re: I took a tumble today
Post by: richardh1905 on 13:20:59, 02/08/19
It's usually on the easy sections when I'm not concentrating.



^agreed.


Usually at the end of a descent, relaxing because I think that the worst is over.
Title: Re: I took a tumble today
Post by: gunwharfman on 13:28:18, 02/08/19
Yes, Jimbob, on that day I nearly was.
Title: Re: I took a tumble today
Post by: Rob Goes Walking on 16:22:41, 02/08/19
I've slipped and fallen on the wet grass before. Turned around and went back again as the rest of the route was of similar steepness.
Title: Re: I took a tumble today
Post by: happyhiker on 16:42:19, 02/08/19
Has a nasty fall on the North York Moors when on the edge of a small cliff, looking for the onward path, stepped on a bit of ground that wasn't there. The gap in the rock was covered by heather. My left leg disappeared into the hole and with the sudden deprivation of support of its friend, my right leg bent out sideways at the knee at about 90 degrees. I could not get leverage to extricate myself and if I had been walking alone, I would still be there. Fortunately the friend I was with was able to help me out. As we had only gone about half a mile, I was able to hobble back to the car with the aid of my trusty Lekis. Strained tendons meant I had to wear a velcro boot thing for a while but no lasting damage seems to have been done. Think I was probably quite lucky. That walk is still on my bucket list!
Title: Re: I took a tumble today
Post by: ninthace on 16:49:46, 02/08/19
The worst injury was coming down Plover Hill off the back of Pen-Y-Ghent.  I slipped on some extremely well lubricated mud concealed by a veneer of grass.  A sudden complete and utter loss of friction caused me to rotate about my centre of mass before landing with all my weight on my elbow.  The shock went up my arm and I honestly thought I had broken or at least dislocated my shoulder.  It was a long walk back to the car, which was parked S of Horton, followed by a cautious one handed drive home.  Fortunately my auto-diagnosis was incorrect but I had a frozen shoulder for a fair few weeks.
Top points for comic effect was heading downhill off Fremington Edge on my backside with my passage facilitated by deep frozen sheep and rabbit poo acting as ball bearings  At least 10 yards before I stopped - definite change of trousers job.
Title: Re: I took a tumble today
Post by: rural roamer on 17:41:29, 02/08/19
On the first (very wet) day (in fact in the first half hour) of our very first long distance walk (Dales Way), I slipped off the first stile we went over and then slipped in very deep puddle. I had an extremely large bruise on my behind, a sore hip and ankle and a wet foot and realised my fabric boots were no good. Obviously it didn’t put me off long distance walking, having now done 7!  ;D
Title: Re: I took a tumble today
Post by: Bigfoot_Mike on 18:15:42, 02/08/19
I fell down a glacier in the Alps, having just got to the top and relaxed my concentration. I have slipped on wet grass near the car after a walk in the Lake District. I have also tripped over my new walking poles on Bennachie, falling flat on my face and losing some skin and blood from my hands. I have also managed an almost complete somersault (unintended) on the descent from a Munro near Glenshee.


I have never fallen while climbing, scrambling or ridge walking. I think the easier bits can be more dangerous, as we tend to concentrate less.
Title: Re: I took a tumble today
Post by: Dyffryn Ardudwy on 18:43:07, 02/08/19
Thankfully the only times ive taken a fall, has been on grass.
The last time was ascending the path from Pen Yr Ole Wen towards Glan Dena, and due to tiredness and possible dehydration , i accidentally dug my toes into the steep ground, and took one heck of a tumble.
It all happened so quickly, that i did not have time to break my fall, and fell sidewards, thankfully onto soft forgiving grass.

It still took me ages to recover and gather my composure, and with a nasty cut to my shin, i was thankfully within ten minutes of my parked car, so hobbled back to civilisation.

Had it been onto rock or concrete, then it would have been far more serious.

The other time, was descending the mountainside near Craig Pwllfa towards Usk bridge, in the Central Beacons.

I got blown over, and landed face first, thankfully on grass once again.


That was well over thirty years ago, but you remember such instances for years to come.
Title: Re: I took a tumble today
Post by: Slogger on 17:06:58, 03/08/19
Apart from acouple of non serious trips, most of my falls have been whilst running, you go down really fast and hard and usually lose a bit of skin, however I'd rather fall when walking or running than cycling! :-X
Title: Re: I took a tumble today
Post by: Owen on 19:14:51, 03/08/19
Apart from my fall skiing earlier this year, I've managed to avoid falling over too often. I can only thing of three falls, I managed to slip over on some slushy snow in Hannover city centre I landed in a huge puddle, I felt such a fool :-[ . A couple of years a go on one of my backpacking trips to Sweden, I was crossing a boulder field when one large rock rolled over as I stood on it. I landed on my chest and with the weight of my pack on top of me it really knocked the wind out of me. On another trip in Sweden I was just getting off a ferry after crossing a big lake in some very rough weather. Just as I went to steep onto the quay the ferry lurched up and then down very quickly. I almost fell down between the boat and the dock. Luckily, a man behind me in the queue managed to grab hold of my pack and saved me.       
Title: Re: I took a tumble today
Post by: Kidder44 on 19:43:40, 03/08/19
I quite often end up doing a pretty good impression of a beetle, on its back.