The Week UK - 28.03.2020

(Nandana) #1

52 The last word


THEWEEK28March2020

Ayoungwomanis
recordingaseriesofvideo
blogsfromtheJoshua
TreeNationalParkin
southernCalifornia.She
isslimandblondewith
anaquilinenoseandteeth
thatshinewhiteunderthe
intenseglowofthedesert
sun.HernameisClaire
Nelson,sheisatravel
writerfromNewZealand
andshehasspentthepast
fewmonthsexploring
CanadaandtheUSA
whiledocumenting
everythingonher
Instagramaccount.

Scrollthroughherfeed
andtheresheis,ina
freezingQuebecCity,
smilinginafur-lined
parkaan dapairofRay-Bans.Inanotherphoto,sheisinasnowy
wilderness,cuddlingahusky.InToronto,sheposesundercherry
blossominastylishleatherjacket.Thesephotosgoonandon,
makingherlifeseemlikeanendlessadventure,allsmilesand
sunglassesandseasonalhues,interspersedwithtastefulsnapsof
localfood.WhenNelsoneventuallymakesittoJoshuaTreeshe
postsapicturewearingcut-offshortsandaBobDylanT-shirt.
ShecaptionsitwithaquotefromDylanhimself:“Ikindalive
whereIfindmyself.”

Afewdaysafterarrivingin
southernCalifornia,Nelson
beginstorecordhervideoblogs
fromwithinthevast,baking
expanseofJoshuaTree.Holding
herdigitalcameraatarm’slength,shestartstospeak.Andright
away,itisclearthatsomethingisverywrong.Sheisflatonher
back,lookspaleandanxiousandisdoingherbesttoshieldher
facefro mthepoundingheat.“Ido n’twanttobehere,”shesays
inasmallvoice,astearspoolinhereyesbeforerollingdownher
cheeks. “Ireallydon’twanttobehere.”

On22May2018,Nelsonsetoffonasoloday-longhike.Aftera
fewhours,though,sheunwittin glywandere doffthehikin gtrail.
Whiletryingtotraversea20ft-highrockformation,sheslipped,
felland shat tere dherpelvisasshehitthestonygroundbelow.She
hadhermobilephone,butnosigna l.Sh eonlyha denough water
foradayinthe heatofth enationalpark,whichsprawls over
1,235squaremilesandstraddlestheColoradoandMojave
deserts.Farfromestablishedtrailsandobscuredbyboulders,she
understoodveryquicklythatthepossibilit yofb eingdiscovered
wasvanishinglysmall.Ifshebegan todehydrate,thenin
conditionssuchast hese,deathcouldcomeinthre edays.An dthis
happensinJoshuaTree.Hikerslo setheirway,losetheirwitsin
theheat ,theirorgansfail,they slipinto unconsciousnessandthen
theydi e.Theirremainsaresometimesdiscoveredmonthslater.
SoNelso npicked upher cameraandbegantospeaktoitsothat,
ifandwhenshedidsuccumb,herfamily wouldatleastunder-
stan dwhatha dhappenedtoher.“Thisisn otwhere Iexpected

toendup,”shesaysin
onemessage.“Witha
shatteredpelvisinthe
desert.Imightdiehere.
I’mreallyscared.”

Nelsondidnotdieinthe
desert.Sheiswithmein
aLondonphotographer’s
studio,drinkingacool
glassofwater–anact,
shesayswithachuckle,
thatshewillnevertake
forgranted.Sohowdid
shesurvive?Thisquestion
isansweredinherbook,
ThingsILearnedfrom
Falling,inwhichshe
describeshereventual
four-dayordeal,aswellas
thecircumstancesthatled
hertobetravellingonher
ownand,ultimately,
tryingtohopfromone20ftbouldertoanother.

Andthetopoftheboulderisprobablyagoodplacetostart.
NelsonhadbegunthedayplanningtohiketotheLostPalms
Oasis,amoderatetrekthatwouldrequiresomescrambling
duringadescentintoadryriverbed.Shesetoffwithfourlitres
ofwater,awalkingpole,sunscreen,afirstaidkitandanavocado
bagel,butafteranhourandahalfshehaddriftedfromtheroute
thatwouldleadhertotheoasis.
Whensheeventuallyfoundher
pathblockedbysizeablerock
stacks,shewassurprised–but
stillshebegantoascend.At35,
shewasanexperiencedhiker,
andevenstoppedforaselfie.“It
wasanormalsituationforme,hikingbymyselfandclambering
overrocks,”shesays.“Iwascomfortable.Ididn’tfeelanygreat
senseofrisk,whichinhindsightmightseemfoolish.Butwhen
you’re comfortabledoin gsomething ,youtrustyourself.”

Inmovingfrom onerockto another,however,Nelsonmade
amisju dgement.Th erockshe landedon wassmoother than
expected ,andthefoothol dshehadcommittedtofarles ssecur e.
“And Ijuststartedtoslide,”shesays.“Ir emem berthewords
inmyhead,‘You’re abouttogethurt...Thisisgoingtohurt.’
Iguessitwasjustmybraintryingtopreparemefo rthelanding.”

Thelanding,whenitcame,wasannouncedwithacrunchin gthud
asherhipborethebruntofthefall. Shetriedtogetup,butshe
coul dfeeltheshard sofs hattere dbonegrindingasshedidso,
makingmovementimpo ssiblefromth ewaist down.Nelson could
accessherba ckpack,butbecauseshehadnosignal,herphone
wasuseless.Shehadbeenhousesittingforfriendsin California,
butastheywereoutof thecountry, nobodyknewshehadsetoff
fortheLostPalmsOasisthatday.Soshela ythere, onherback,
inpain, squinting attheblueskyand thehuge,sandy-pinkrocks
around her.“I twasveryquiet.Theon lysounds Iheardwerethe
occasionalbreezegoing overthetopofthecanyonI’dfallen
into, ”shesays.“Itwasaneerieplacetobe.Isawplanes going

“I’d never felt more lost” –

survival against the odds

ClaireNelsondidn’ttellanyonewhereshewasgoingwhenshesetoffonahikeinaremotecornerofCalifornia.
Thatwasherfirstmistake–but,asshetellsBenMachell,thingswouldgetmuch,muchworsefromthere

“Shetriedtogetup,butshecouldfeelthe
shardsofshatteredbonethatmademovement
impossible from the waist down”

Joshua Tree National Park:avast, beautiful, baking expanse in California
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