What’s the worst physical pain they can remember being in?
Paro Taktsang, Bhutan, 1867. Cas and I started the hike right at sundown, in hopes of catching errant dawn to make it easier. Turns out we were idiots, and we absolutely should have seen that coming.
Five hour hike on a good day in sunlight turned into six or more hours by the light of only the moon with no guide. We hit a twist in the trail that seemed marred by vegetation; turned out there was vegetation overhanging the sheer cliff face and I almost fell a couple thousand meters to—well, probably not my death, but it could have been pretty fucking inconvenient, yeah?
Ended up with a dislocated clavicle, broken fingers, fractured skull, and what I could have sworn was a dislocated kneecap. Oh, and a traumatized lover.
Hurt like a bitch. Took a week hiding to get healed up enough to trek back down. Never did see the monastery.