Pete's Snowboarding trip

August 16th 2008

Pete organised to go snowboarding for a week at Turoa, Mt Ruapehu, with some friends - Alec, Andy, and Alec's sister and partner. They left in the early hours of Monday morning and arrived at 7am. After getting kitted out, they hit the slopes. Just four hours into the first day, Pete was boarding down the waterfall, slipped on some ice and landed rather heavily and awkwardly on his hand. There was an M for McDonald's shape in his wrist that hadn't been there before, and it was just a touch painful! He thought he had better pop along to the doctor and have it checked. He was then taken by sled all the way down the mountain to first aid.

Yes, it was broken and he needed to get to Wanganui hospital to have it set - just 2 hours

drive away! The trip was a little rough with the constant movement of the vehicle on the road jarring his wrist. He had to stay in for two nights and have pins put through the bones to hold them in place. He had broken it into four pieces. (Doesn't do anything by halves, our Pete! ) Over the next few weeks, he had the cast removed and replaced a couple of times - he had an infection in two of the sites where the metal pins protruded through the skin - and got to try out a couple of different coloured casts.
He was very happy when it was all over and he was able to play his guitar again!


So, pictures - we have the outside of the railway carriage which was their accommodation; Pete with Andy and Alec; and the inside of the carriage; Pete by the side of the road; and finally, one of him at home after he returned from a physically relaxing week. (He did have to learn to sleep in a different position; and after the first few days, the pain died down to where he was able to handle it without painkillers.)