August 31st 1982, Ios, Greece
Anyway, I decided to make the most of it. I swam and sunbathed, drank my water and read "Hamlet" until - at around one o'clock, I decided to leave the trap I had so willingly put myself in.
In that hot Aegean sun, I struggled upward but when I was about fifty feet above that inaccessible beach, with unforgiving rocks below, I slid and slipped back about ten feet. Glued to the crumbling, unstable cliff-face, I trembled as a current of fear coursed through me and it was a few minutes before I became calm enough to descend the cliff, ever so slowly. Arriving in the secret cove had been easy enough and I never considered that ascending would be an issue when I decided to leave.
Over the next two hours, I made half a dozen attempts to climb out of the cove via the rocks on each side but found unassailable cliff faces after a while - on both sides. I had my blue day bag with me containing passport, wallet, air ticket etc. so I couldn't have attempted to swim a mile around the headland back to safety even if that had been something other than an entirely desperate idea.
I was more than tired because of my exertions so I found some shade in the lee of a large rock and simply rested for an hour or so trying to regather my strength. I was thirsty but all of my water had been consumed just before I attempted my first aborted ascent.
Around four that afternoon, I tried another route out of there but the same thing happened as before - the rock face crumbling under my hands and feet as I tried to find some purchase. Then I asked myself a question - if a boat passed by out beyond the bay would I signal for help? The answer was a resounding "Yes" for I was more than a little scared and hyper-aware of my dangerous situation.
Again I rested, conserving energy but no boats came by so I tried yet another route up the cliff - my blue "Fjallraven" bag around my neck - but this effort was like all the rest - useless. If I had fallen I would undoubtedly meet death - either immediately or slowly through serious injury. It was clear that nobody ever went there.
Where were the boats? Sunset was getting closer. I was starting to think that I would have to spend the night there with the sea and the sun-baked rocks and an empty water bottle. Would this in fact be my last resting place?"
To be continued...
Makes me think of Michael Mosley's death. Obviously the LORD had other plans for you.
ReplyDeleteThat came into my mind too.
DeleteDarn. You make us wait at another day just when it gets scary.
ReplyDeleteClearly you got out because here you are, but why didn't you ask where a beach was instead of going where you did?
ReplyDeleteI do hope you survive!😁
ReplyDeleteI e-mailed you at the weekend. I await your response.😁
ReplyDeleteSame here, Mosley's death was very sad but I am sure you will rescue your hero.
ReplyDeleteLet me guess ... you made it out alive?
ReplyDeleteHmm... why does this sound familiar? Certainly not from any personal experience of my own. In any case, I am waiting for the next chapter with (almost) bated breath.
ReplyDeleteI seem to recall you mentioned this once before and obviously lived to tell the tale, but, like others have said, your fate could have been like Michael Moseley.
ReplyDeleteYou must have survived
ReplyDeleteHave you told this story before? It sounds familiar to me...
ReplyDeleteGlad you made it safely out eventually...
Oh, that's scary. I once found myself in a similarly life-threatening hiking situation -- though not quite as risky because I was with other people -- and I will never forget it. Maybe I'll blog about it one of these days. (My story is not as good as your story!)
ReplyDeleteJesus
ReplyDeleteOnce almost got caught by the tide on holiday but this sounds so much worse. I'd hate to think what was going on in your head that day.
ReplyDelete