Knowing when to turn around/Listening to your body

[wyyld]

I was going up Mt Belford this weekend and had an interesting experience that has never happened before. At about 12500 feet just as I was making headway up Mt Belford I started to cramp up big time in my legs. Each step was a painful searing in my thighs and my legs started to lock up. The pain was pretty high. A good 7/10. I felt like I was crippled standing there. I sat down and rested for thirty minutes hoping it would subside and I could continue on. I tried two more times to get up and keep moving but it just wasn't in the cards. The cramps would not cease. My body was telling me to not continue up the mountain. I made the decision to drop altitude as quickly as possible and forgo the summit. I think it's important to listen to your body and mine was definitely not cooperating. It was a humbling experience and a worthwhile one for future adventures. You gotta know when to turn around and listen to what your body is telling you.

[TheRealRooster]

Congratulations on making a smart call, and thanks for putting it out there for others to learn from. There's certainly nothing macho about pushing it too far when you're up high - the mountain will always be there tomorrow!

[bigredmachine]

Pick up some salt tablets. They will take care of cramps typically within minutes.