Let's Limp Upwards Arthur's Seat!

*KRACK*

That's non the sort of audio y'all desire to hear, peculiarly non if it's coming from within your knee. My left human knee was just where this audio was coming from on a sunny twenty-four hr menstruum close the commence of March. I ignored it, until I couldn't walk anymore. I went to the doctor, who told me non to cycle, climb stairs or climb mountains. Then I went to Edinburgh and ignored all of my doctor's advice when an American guy asked me: 'Wanna limp upwards Arthur's Seat alongside me?'

Arthur's Seat fascinated me from the 2nd I arrived in Scotland. No, I could non curvature my human knee properly as well as no, I couldn't larn upwards a unmarried flying of stairs without beingness inwards agony. But I simply couldn't tell 'no' to Zach, whom I met on my commence nighttime inwards Edinburgh. He, and I kid y'all not, also had an injury to his left knee. We spent that nighttime laughing almost our situation, talked how much we'd similar to climb Arthur's Seat as well as how we'd live pathetically limping if nosotros tried. We laughed some more, thus decided to climb Arthur's Seat the real side past times side day. This was likely the real worst thought the both of us had inwards all v days of our trip, but nosotros were stubborn. So early on inwards the morning time of the 24th of March, 2 limping figures could live seen on the slopes of Arthur's Seat. This is the story of how they made it to the top. More or less.

We started off trying to live smart. 'We could accept the charabanc to the foot, thus nosotros won't completely ruin our knees earlier nosotros larn there,' Zach suggested. Of course I agreed to that, half-sensible every bit I am. Zach had a charabanc conception as well as nosotros totally knew where the charabanc halt was - or thus nosotros thought. After walking upwards as well as downwards Victoria Street 10 times, nosotros yet hadn't constitute it. Then of a abrupt nosotros did detect it, as well as our charabanc was already waiting there! So nosotros sprinted every bit fast every bit our busted knees allowed us - as well as missed our bus. We sighed as well as decided to walk. Holyrood Park couldn't live that far away, right?

In fact, nosotros had a relaxed walk downwards the Royal Mile as well as reached Holyrood Park without either of us dying from excruciating hurting inwards the knee. I became excited. Really excited. I simply wanted to run direct upwards to the top of that mountain. There was entirely 1 problem: which path were nosotros supposed to take?
That's when nosotros discovered that the Scottish aren't real fond of signs for hikers. And since beingness sensible almost the charabanc had brought us nothing, nosotros decided to walk upwards the commence path nosotros saw, a path that went almost direct up. I know, I know. Not the best motion if your human knee is hurting. But I was impatient as well as almost ran upwards the commence few meters of the path.

The path was both literally as well as figuratively breathtaking. Literally because it felt similar trying to walk upwards a wall, figuratively because the stance was freaking amazing. Secretly I was pretty happy alongside all the photograph opportunities it gave me, every bit they helped me enshroud the fact that I remove maintain null stamina as well as needed to recess as well as residue my human knee every 30 meters.

After almost 15 minutes, the path flattened out. Zach as well as I were relieved. It felt thus expert to live walking on a apartment surface again. The route followed the side of the mountain, curved to the left, out of sight. We were certain it'd larn upwards the lastly rocky part, but every bit nosotros rounded the corner, the path went downwards again. Down as well as downwards as well as further down.

I panicked a little. This couldn't live right, could it? Why was at that topographic point no agency to larn upwards this lastly flake of stupid rock? Completely confused as well as slightly worried, I kept walking. Zach was ahead of me as well as asked a lady walking her domestic dog how we'd larn to the top of Arthur's Seat. She looked at us alongside a hint of entertainment as well as said: 'Down this path, upwards the stairs, upwards the other mountain.'

Turns out nosotros hadn't been climbing Arthur's Seat at all. We were standing on the Salisbury Crags. Mind. Blown. I felt thus freaking stupid. At the exact same moment, my human knee gave me a clear dot that it wasn't besides happy alongside all the climbing I was doing. But going dorsum was no option. Going dorsum is never an option. 

We walked on as well as were faced alongside steep, steep stairs. Oh, as well as also a daughter barrelling downwards the rocky side of the mountain, but she didn't seem to notice us as well as speedily disappeared behind some prickly bushes. Zach as well as I exchanged confused looks 1 time again, thus walked on. My human knee cracked every similar a shot as well as then, but I ignored it every bit usual. Soon nosotros were on a... allow me telephone telephone if a platform. Or a footling champaign that was genuinely level. I couldn't assist but twirl around, vlog as well as live agency besides happy there. I also decided that this was the perfect occasion to explicate Zach the plot of Trainspotting. I did a bad job, generally because I yet haven't seen the terminate as well as I was agency besides distracted past times the somebody who was watching it alongside me when I commence saw it, but I made upwards for my lack of noesis alongside pure excitement. I'm non certain how much Zach enjoyed this, because he shortly asked me if my human knee was doing okayish plenty to climb the lastly flake of Arthur's Seat. My human knee was non okayish, but I didn't tell him. I wanted to continue, but was a flake wary since I couldn't encounter a clear path leading upwards to the top. There was also yet no sign telling us where to go, thus nosotros did what nosotros shouldn't remove maintain done alongside 2 busted knees: Climb direct upwards the lastly rocky part! My human knee was killing me, my feet were non happy inwards my sneakers anymore as well as my photographic television set camera almost died crashing into a stone every bit I awkwardly climbed upwards as well as up.

Then, all of a sudden, nosotros were surrounded past times other tourists, all circling to a greater extent than or less this big white stone mark the top of Arthur's Seat. Apparently, the tardily agency upwards Arthur's Seat was simply on the other side of a gradient we'd seen when nosotros started out. It's prophylactic to tell nosotros took the scenic as well as painful route, but nosotros got at that topographic point anyway. And it felt awesome. 

We stayed at the top of Arthur's Seat for ages as well as left our names on that big white stone. Because that's how wannabe street artists roll. I was freezing, my feet were hurting as well as my shoes were falling apart. Yet I hadn't been every bit happy inwards 2017 yet every bit I was when I sat on a ledge inwards Scotland alongside my painful human knee at an awkward angle piece eating onetime Skittles. After all the hurting as well as confusion it was yet to a greater extent than than worth it. Did I taste my hike alongside this much pain? Not really. Did I experience similar I'd top away on that freaking mountain? Definitely. But would I create it again? Anytime!

x Envy

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