Commander's Log Sarsdate 29/04/0021 Happies and Crappies As we approach the base of Ben Big

Reflecting On The First 5 Weeks Of Our Mission

As we approach the base of Ben Big, this log entry follows the format of dispatches from Amelia when she was backpacking around India as part of her Sherpa training. Here’s a complete example of one of her dispatches from those days.

Happies

• The Taj Mahal

• a mad tuk tuk driver

• Delhi street dal

Crappies

• The Taj Mahal street traders

• Air pollution

• Delhi street dal + 4 hours

As you can see, brevity is of the essence (even though we did actually have email in those days, not just telegrams).

So here are my happies and crappies for our mission so far.

Happies

• Reserve battery still contains 12Kg of energy

• The Siblings Of Mercy have promised me some morphine if I’m good

• I have carte blanche to refuse spinach, courgette, Kale and any other healthy diet stuff that Sherpa Shirl would normally be sliding surrepticiously into my dinner.

Crappies

• Going deaf with a permanent disgusting taste in the mouth as well as being blind and socially distanced (i.e. too much sense depravation)  

• Not sleeping more than 3 hours a night

• A burst pipe in the bothy

Here’s a little more colour on the addition of a Sunday morning burst pipe to Shirl’s duties. Lying on my bedroll in our bothy earlier this week I felt the unmistakeable sprinkle of Scottish rain. Well, actually, it was mistakeable and it wasn’t rain. In fact we had a burst pipe on the top floor which was now sprinkling down through the ceiling into the bedroom. Although the plumbing isn’t quite as old as the 600 year old building itself, it is definitely of a medieaval design. Shirl has now added securing a Sunday morning call out from The Right Worshipful Company Of Stove Pipers, Cock Stoppers and Joint Crimpers to her indispensable manual “Essential Training for Carcinoma Sherpas”.