Forty, Frozen and Furious: The Birthday That Built WildEdge

It’s my 44th birthday this week, and by the time you read this I will be holed up in a remote house, doing my Firewalk Instructor training.

Permit me to share with you the story of my 40th birthday, it’s a key tale that helped shape WildEdge Worx – and explains a lot about mine and Ant’s partnership….

Picture the scene – I wake up in sunshine, bright and early on the morning of 4th March 2022. My 40th birthday. A milestone.

I stretched and anticipated the day ahead – a relaxing spa day with my beloved husband, followed by a lovely dinner with my husband and kids. Exactly what I’d requested, and nothing too demanding for a big number birthday, right?

Except Ant Ackers had decided to go off piste…

Instead of following my very clear and reasonable instructions, he had taken it upon himself to ship our children off to friends, and take me up Helvellyn via Striding Edge in very snowy and icy conditions, because and I quote, he thought I “might like to see if I still had it at 40”.

I was livid. In fact I wasn't just livid I was devastated. All I wanted was to be surrounded by my family, and instead I was going to be punished in harsh conditions.

Anyway we reached Glenridding, and set off, and before long we reached the ice line. We made a snowman, we had a little play in the snow, but then as we approached Striding Edge the snow and the ice really started getting serious.

Ant on Striding Edge

I was terrified. Striding Edge is a rocky ridge, pretty darn high up, and is intimidating in normal conditions. In slippy snow, it’s no joke.

But the shit really hit the fan when we reached the final climb, right up to the summit of Helvellyn. It was covered in packed snow, with no visible path, and only a sheer drop to the valley below.

I froze. I cried. I couldn’t make my feet move.

We had a choice, go forward or go back.

I knew going back was tough going, so we proceeded – into what I can only describe as a crash course into ice-axe-step-cutting.

But when we reach the summit, the worst was yet to come.

We had to make our way down Swirral Edge, and it was getting dark.

Unfortunately due to footfall, that path was now an ice luge, and the only way we could descend was bum shuffling, using our crampons to halt a death slide into the valley below, and our ice axes as anchors.

It was terrifying, but we did it, and I finished up my birthday eating pizza in bed.

We did learn some key things from this experience:

1)      To expand our outdoor training capabilities – shit can get real very quickly out on the hill

2)      One of us has to be the driver – Ant maintains I thanked him the day afterwards for stretching me. Recollections may vary on this.

3)      Trust. We’re a partnership. We’ve got each other’s backs.

4)      Where our boundaries lie. What’s an empowered no, and what’s a limiting belief

5)      We’re just a couple wired for adventure!

Still waiting for my spa day though!

Claire