I am just back from two weeks of holidays; mainly in the Spanish Pyrenees with a few days in France. And what can I say: I loved it. Each and every day of it. And you might be able to guess why. Well, if you know what makes me feel alive, that is. Yes, being able to be spend time in the great outdoors, trying out new things, pushing my boundaries, and challenging myself out of my comfort zone. Add great lovely people and good food to the mix and see me happy. And the time away offered all of this. And I want to share some of the highlights with you.

Disclosure: This article is part of my paid collaboration between The Active Amputee and Click Medical

I know, I am repeating myself. But so what. As this piece of information is so important, I am fine with that. Most amputees know that a well-fitting socket is crucial. Without a well-fitting socket that connects your prosthetic device to your body, none of the high end, super modern, microprocessor controlled, software supported, and often very expensive prosthetic devices can unfold their full potential. Without a well-fitting socket, many of the modern features of these devices cannot be used. Without a well-fitting socket, wearing a prosthetic device can be uncomfortable, resulting in users not wearing their prosthetic limbs as long and often as they could.

While this fact is well established, getting a well-fitting socket with the right balance between a tight fit for good control on the one hand and a more relaxed for for increased comfort on the other hand is not as easy as it sounds. Even if you do not suffer from volume fluctuations in your residual limb. Even if you are in the hands of a very experienced and committed prosthetist. And even if you are willing to put up with a far-from-ideal compromise on the troublesome days.

This is where adjustable sockets come in. They can be a game changer for amputees as they allow us to adjust the fit of our sockets on the go, according to our needs, and without a visit to our prosthetist.

For some years, I have been using the RevoFit system from Click Medical to adjust my socket to what I need on a given day. And the system has served me well in recent years. It allowed me to be active and feel alive. Among other things, it has enabled me to go on multi-day hikes, get back into climbing, and spend days in my kayak out on the lakes around my place here in Germany and abroad.

During my recent holidays, the RevoFit system was instrumental in fulfilling yet another dream of mine. Canyoning. For years, canyoning seemed like the ideal sport for me. I enjoy being in the water. I have prior climbing experience and love the mountains. And I like to be challenged out of my comfort zone, to push my boundaries, and gain new experiences. And canyoning offers all of that - and so much more.

Having said that, I never gave canyoning a try. As many of you know, the fit of my socket has been a challenge for some time. Despite having a great, very experienced, and highly committed prosthetist. The problem is mostly due to volume fluctuations in the residual limb. The later the day, the more active I am, the hotter it gets, the more I sweat, the more difficult it gets. Add the fact that the more exciting canyoning routes are often one way adventures - once you abseiled into the canyon, there is no way back, no exit option; you need to be able to make it through the whole tour - and you want to be sure that you are fit and mentally up for the adventure and that your prosthetic set-up is up for the job.

And that was exactly the situation I had in the Pyrenees. With the Genium X4 knee and the Maverick XT foot I had components that are waterproof. And with a socket that features the RevoFit system I had the opportunity to dial-in the perfect fit for my socket as and when I needed it. And I made good use of this opportunity.

A hot day. 32 degrees Celsius. In the shade, that is. And it’s just passed 11.00 c’clock in the morning. We park the car near the village of Escuaín. What follows is a 20 minute walk along the road to get to the village. All the gear we need for the day on our backs. As this is only a few kilometers, as it’s still early ion the day and my residual limb is well relaxed and fit, I opt for a comfortable fit. Nothing too tight. There is no need for that as we walk on more or less even ground.

We reach the village and leave the road. Now we are on a small path that soon starts descending into the valley. The path leads is through a small forrest. Undergrowth makes walking a bit more challenging as the prosthesis tends to get stuck in the long grass and small bushes. Fallen branches and lose rocks litter the way. Here is need my walking poles. And it’s time to tighten the fit of my socket to allow a better and more precise placement of my foot. This is easily done as I can reach the dial easily. It’s located at the lower end of my socket, just about where my shorts end.

We have reached the upper rim of the canyon. Time to get into our harnesses and put on the helmets. Otherwise we still wear our normal outfits. The wetsuits are still in the backpacks. To get down to the River Yaga, we need to abseil. About 65 meters all in all, split into three sections, interrupted by two stops on ledges with enough space to comfortably transition from one abseil to the next. As this is the part where the prosthesis really needs to stay in place, I tighten the fit of the socket even further. Abseiling means you basically try to walk down a cliff backwards, leaning back into a rope at roughly a 45 degree angle. You want your weight firmly pushing your feet into the wall. But gravity pulls your prosthesis downwards. Not ideal, if the fit of your socket is lose. So an adjustable socket is great. Both for practical reasons - the leg doesn’t fall off and safely gets you down into the canyon - and mental ones - it gives you the necessary peace of mind and allows you to actually concentrate on the abseil instead of worrying whether your 60k prosthetic device is about to fall off.

The abseil is followed by a bit of scrambling over boulders of various sizes. Great fun, if you ask me. And the RevoFit settings I used for the abseil work well for this stretch of our adventure. After a short while we reach the Rio Yaga. Time for a little break. Time for a snack. Time to get into our wetsuits and kit up for the next part of the tour.

Now I need to make a decision: What fit do I need for the next two to three hours? The volume if the residual limp is still pretty good. I drank enough in the morning. We are down in the canyon so the heat of the day won’t be an issue. The water is cold - as in COLD. The wetsuit will help to keep the prosthetic leg in place. All this speaks for a setting slightly more on the comfortable side. But then again, we will be jumping of cliffs, wade through water, and slide down ravines. The ground will be slippery and placing the foot will be tricky. We will have at least one, maybe two more abseils. And once we are in the river, the foot shell will be full of water. Constantly, that is. Thus adding weight to the prosthesis and making it harder to bring the foot to the front. Similarly the wet suit will be … yes, wet. And even if we have longer stretches where we are on dry ground or are at least not swimming, all the water will concentrate in the wet suits below our knees. Adding more weight there. Making it even harder to move the prosthesis through the water and place the foot more or less precisely. All this speaks for a tighter fit. As I will not be able to change the setting through the thick layer of neoprene and as I don’t want to get out of my wetsuit during the tour, I decide to nicely tighten the system. And then the adventure can begin.

Two hours later. I have just squeezed myself through a rather tight rock crevice, emerging from underneath a hug boulder. So far I have jumped off cliffs (although I chickened out of the very first one), had another abseil plunging into a rock pool, scrambled along the cliff faces along and above the river banks, swam through waterfall, slid through a tunnel into a cave underneath an immense boulder to then swim through a dark underground pool before crawling out on my belly through a small opening, emerging back into the sunlight. And I loved each and every second of it. And guess what. The leg was still in place. Yes, the prosthesis was still in the very same position. After all that. Ready to continue this amazing adventure. Considering that I often have to re-adjust the prosthesis after a 20 minute right on public transport this is unexpected. And such a nice surprise.

We have another hour in and along the river ahead of us. An amazing mixture of wading through knee-deep water, the on and off short swim, sliding through narrow channels in the river bed, jumping of cliffs, and an last abseil straight into a pool and right next to a waterfall. We take a short break in this stunningly beautiful spot, soaking in a bit of sun, enjoying being out in Mother Nature. We know that the tour will soon come to an end.

There we are. Standing just above a lovely looking emerald rock pool. On the other side of the river, people are sunbathing. Kids are playing in the water. People are having a good time. It’s late in the afternoon and this is the almost the end of our canyoning tour. A five meter dive. A short swim to the other bank of the Rio Yaga. And then it’s time to get out of the wetsuits, jump into our walking cloths, and start heading out of the canyon. As we have about 30 minutes of uphill walking ahead of us, I use the opportunity to take off the prosthesis, wipe it dry, and loosen the RevoFit dial before putting if back on. Walking uphill is always easy on the socket. So I opt for a rather lose and comfortable fit. No need to tighten it excessively. And - now wearing my shorts again - if I need to I can always adjust it on the go. One of the great advantages of an adjustable socket.

Here are my take-aways from this canyoning adventure:

• With the right prosthetic set-up, everything is possible. Even canyoning.
• An essential part of the right prosthetic set-up is an adjustable socket. This increases your options of fine-tuning your prosthesis to your needs. When you try out something new - especially if it involves risks to your life or your health - you want to make sure you feel as comfortable with your set-up as possible. This allows you to concentrate on the adventure and enjoy the experience.
• For me, the RevoFit system is a key component to allow me to adjust my socket on the go and according to my needs. It’s simple to use, reliable, and can be adjusted with one hand.
• Does an adjustable socket solve all my socket issues, I am often ask? No, it does not. And I think it is unrealistic to expect that. But it solves many of them. For example it allows me to confidently try out new things and commit to exciting adventures in the great outdoors without worrying about the fit of my prosthesis. And it minimizes many of the issues it does not solve, making it easier to find other work-arounds. For example, staying active even with sore spots on the residual limb as changes to the compression allow me to slightly change the weight bearing points of the socket. These small changes make a big difference in my day to day life.
• The placement of the dial to adjust the fit of the socket needs to be well thought through. if you can reach it easily, you will not use it. So easy accessibility is key while the dial also needs to be ‘out of the way’ in order not to become a nuisance in your day to day life.
• Part of the accessibility of the dial is affected by your clothing. Shorts and skirts are obviously ideal. But not always an option. Some outdoor brands offer trousers with zippers along the thighs (for example Fjällräven from Sweden). While meant for better ventilation, the zippers come in handy for lower limb amputees that use adjustable sockets. I think it’s worth investing in them as it allows you continued access to the dial, and thus to the option of adjusting your socket on the go. But once you add even more of a barrier around your dial - like a neoprene wetsuit or the like - you need to make sure get the socket fit right before the dial becomes inaccessible.

The Spanish Pyrenees are an amazing area for a wide range of outdoor activities. Rough and beautiful at the same time. A region you can easily for in love with - like I did this summer. No matter if you are into mountain biking of bird watching, if you like short walks in the valleys with a coffee place nearby or prefer self-supported multi-day hikes above 2,500 meters, if you are into canyoning, multi-pitch climbing or wild swimming - there is something for everyone. All year around.

Trying out something new - especially in an environment you are not familiar with - often depends on qualified guides. Even more so if you have special needs. Please make sure you sign up with guides and tour companies that meet the following criteria (not an exhaustive list, but my minimum standard):

• They have the necessary skills and qualifications.
• They have a genuine passion for the outdoors and are not just in it for the money.
• They are available for a meeting prior to the actual adventure day; a chat where I brief them about my disability, prior experiences, worries and the like; where they openly spell out what they can and cannot offer, the risks, and possible limitations/changes in regards to my expectations and their usual offers.

For our canyoning adventure I hired Iñaki, a very experienced outdoor guide from TTAventura in Aínsa. After a briefing session, during which I talked about my prior experiences, mental and physical fitness, potential limitations and problems I might face with regards to my prosthesis, we jointly decided on the tour for the day. While he took my disability into account, Iñaki offered a demanding tour and made it clear that once we started the abseil, there is no way back. That sounded great to me. While Iñaki gave me all the support I needed (and an extra hand when traversing along the cliffs), he trusted me to be capable of finishing the tour just as he would trust any other customer. That was just what I needed. I would join a tour with Iñaki or any of the guides from TTAventura any time again. I cannot recommend them highly enough. “Thanks again for this amazing day!”