Outdoor Diva Elaine Forsman
We roped up as if to cross a glacier. Australia hasn't seen glaciers in tens of thousands of years, but we roped up anyway. Earlier, while sitting back from the cliff edge in a shallow cave, we watched lightning dance across the sky and strike the valley floor not 200 metres from us. Counting the seconds between the strikes and accompanying thunder we monitored progression and passing of this flash storm that was close enough, and the fear of attracting lightning strike real enough, that we removed all climbing iron-mongery and placed it a good distance away.
I struggled to remember the final tie-off for the Kiwi-coil; a method of rope management for glacier crossing. Elaine knew: An extra bight of rope, an extra hitch, clip it, let's go!
The electrical part of the storm has passed, now the rains come. We are still on the half-way ledge of a 400 metre cliff in the Blue Mountains, 200 kilometres west of Sydney, Australia. This particular ledge is accessible from the top via a very steep and loose scramble, dodging stunted trees and negotiating dirt and mud, which is fine on the descent if you are careful. The slightest slip reversing it could have us airborne, hence the roping up. It didn't need to be said: "If I fall you jump around the other side of a tree."
The next day we romped down a luscious slot canyon for which the Blue Mountains are famous amongst outdoors people the world over. A couple of days later Elaine took me sailing. Skiing and snowboarding is done with style; mountaineering is a cinch; canoeing, C1-ing, surfing, too many to list. Name an outdoor adventure sport and Elaine takes to it with zeal and finesse. She is and always will be a diva.
Nominated by Iain Finlay
