I have written previously in this blog about trying to find a balance between different personal and professional responsibilities and finding some breathing space. However, I haven’t been that successful in finding the right balance in recent years and after some challenging times I decided to focus on something a bit simpler and allow myself to just ‘be’ for a while.
A few years ago, a friend of mine was trying to convince me to go with them on a walking holiday. This was back when I was very cynical about a holiday that was centred around exercising and instead would prefer to sit on a beach with a book hoping seagulls wouldn’t steal my lunch. I usually limited myself to a flat countryside wander with my dog when I was home from university and wouldn’t exactly take in my surroundings as I was too preoccupied with grades, ‘life goals’ and how I compared with my peers.
However, a sharp change in perspective was prompted by the sudden loss of individuals very dear to me in close succession. I won’t go into detail about grief as this is meant to be an overall positive post; I’ll only say that I’ve realised it’s not a uniform process and everyone deals with the emotional contortion in their own way. The immediate, instinctual reaction I initially adopted was to launch myself back into work as soon as possible, however this wasn’t the healthiest approach.
A few months ago, another friend of mine contacted me for a catch-up and he told me that he had started visiting and climbing different mountains around the country. He sold me the idea that it was a very rewarding pastime as it challenged you physically and by overcoming the initial difficulties you would feel a great sense of achievement. He also told me about the social side and how there was a great sense of camaraderie – which translates into words of encouragement when you’re halfway up a mountain and the car park seems so much closer than the summit. I’ve also told myself that ‘the pub will still be there when you’re done’ a few times.
I was convinced to give it a go and I started with a relatively small mountain with an elevation of approximately 400 metres. This was during the early summer prior to a recent heatwave and although it was reasonably cool, my aerobic fitness wasn’t exactly on par. I also made some questionable choices with regards to footwear which culminated in the formation of blisters on my feet. However, I remember looking around at the landscape at the summit and for the first time in a long while, I was able to just take everything in and just ‘be’.
Two months have now passed and since then I have climbed a further 6 mountains of increasing elevation as I’m fortunate enough to live within an hour’s drive of some extraordinary routes. I have also ventured out in various weather conditions and realised that I have a preference for a bit of rain as a natural cooling system. I have invested in a better pair of boots to minimise the risk of blistering and lost weight which has helped with the pace I cover the routes, although I’m not exactly a fell runner – yet. I have also met some wonderful people of all ages and I have started to grow in confidence again.
I’ll finish with some of the things I’ve learnt over the past few months while climbing rocky inclines.
- It’s better to walk with someone else as you can motivate each other and it’s safer. If you are going to walk alone, be sure of the route you’re going to take, tell someone where you’re going, have a suitably charged phone and try to avoid days of unpredictable weather.
- The importance of the correct footwear cannot be understated. In addition to the aforementioned blisters, I have also had a few warning stumbles that almost ended in ankle issues. The new pair of walking boots I’ve ordered will hopefully provide enough support and minimise the risk of slipping on challenging terrain.
- Give it a go and if you have to turn back on some days, don’t be too disappointed – you can try again another day.
Science and Joe 