Frequently rocky, sometimes tussocky, occasionally blissfully smooth, twisting, turning, uphill struggles, exhilarating, exhausting, heart-warming and mind-blowing. Could it be my life I’m describing, or my hiking adventures you ask? It is either and both, walking is the perfect reflection of both my emotional and the physical journeys!
The first time I was invited by Bryn Walking to write about my hiking 'why’ some four years ago it was based around the reason I had taken up hiking – a door to a different future after the loss of my soulmate. My confidence in the hills has grown massively since then and my reasons have evolved too. Today I can't imagine life without the outdoors, where I can let my soul breathe. Just recently I climbed Mt Toubkal in Morocco and I am a regular on Cadair Idris (Snowdonia). On a less poetic, more practical note, hiking allows me to eat cake and drink cider without the calories languishing on my hips and I can celebrate being alive and kicking after brain surgery two and a half years ago - and turning 60!! Oh, and I'm now an empty nester, so the fantastic social side of walking has saved me on several occasions from turning in on myself and 'stewing in my own juices' 😁 In fact my love affair with the hills is now the way I live my life. This summer I started solo camping, one night at a time, on the peaceful Pwllyn Farm , near Libanus. Pen Y Fan is the last thing I see outside my tent when I turn in for the night and the first thing I see when I wake. The farm has cooking facilities, equipment and showers in a large barn and that’s perfect for this camping novice. The farmer tootles around the wildflower filled fields on his tricycle to keep an eye on everything and that all is well, which is very reassuring for this solo female camper! My final thoughts: Give yourself permission to switch off the news and social media once a week (it’ll still be there when you turn it back on!). Heaven is not in the Med or a supermarket frozen dessert and the anti-dote to being down in the dumps is not several glasses of wine. It’s in the steadfastness of the hills and mountains, the subtle changing of the seasons and vegetation. Winter WILL come, but so will the Spring. Guaranteed. The clouds and rain eventually blow away. Always. And thank you to my late partner, for leaving me the most beautiful gift I have ever received - hiking.
7 Comments
Mood boosting power of a good walk.
Mid life brings all sorts challenges and I was experiencing some of these. The result low mood and intolerance. In short bad tempered! One of the bonuses of this particular week is that I had two walks lined up - one in Aberedw, the third in a series of walks organised by Bryn Walking around this area. Having asked for this particular walk, it includes Llewelyn’s cave and Twm Tobacco’s grave, there was no way I was going sit at home and ruminate on things I can’t control anyway. The walk is full of legend, folklore and mystery. The passage of time theme here reminded me that everything will pass. Walking out over the hills and mountains got all my body working - my lungs to full capacity, muscles doing their job, limbs coordinating, blood pumping around my body and the eyes absorbing sunlight - yes the sun did shine despite a gloomy forecast. Walking helps to put me into perspective - not my problems but me, it reminds that I am short-lived, the trees, rocks and cairns I encounter have stood the test of time and will be here long after I’m gone. The mountains and landscape are static and immoveable - having been enjoyed by others and will be by countless future walkers. Where do I feature? I don’t and that’s good for me to be reminded of this. Then there’s the power of the people I walk with - sometimes I have a lot to say - sometimes I don’t (yes really!). I even know where to position myself so that I can join in if I want or stay silent and just listen to what’s going on around me. I specifically put my phone away and turn off notifications so the only sensory experience I get is from nature and fellow walkers. At times during this walk I’ve shared some of my issues and heard from others how they dealt with the same experiences, often with humour when we begin discussing the different dimensions of being middle aged. I don’t feel so alone now. My bad temper is diminished. Physically my body is reinvigorated, full of good endorphins that have boosted my mood, my mind is clearer and I feel better connected with others. I’ve had a full reset. I’m now ready and enthusiastic for the second walk later in the week - maybe I can improve someone else’s mood. I just feel so very lucky to have found Helen and Bryn Walking by a series of events that just fitted into place….I’d completed online courses run by MIND which led onto the Couch to 5K with them, then they passed on the details of a course of weekly local walks to be run in autumn 2022 (luckily on my non-working day) in conjunction with the Outdoor Partnership, of which Helen was one of the leaders.
I had seen Bryn Walking pop up on facebook, had joined and it was on the list of things to do but just hadn’t got around to going out with them, plus if I’m being honest was probably nervous of meeting new people etc. Because of attending that series of walks I was offered a subsidy to do 2 courses of my choice of courses run by Helen – Navigation/Hillwalking/Mountain Walking or First Aid. In the meantime I did the introductory navigation day run by Bryn Walking and absolutely loved it! I’d never even been to the Kerry Ridgeway before despite living so close. We had perfect misty conditions! I’ve always loved Geography and maps and vaguely recalled some of the map work from school, but not compass work and I’m still convinced compasses are witchcraft! It’s fascinating. It just felt so good to be outdoors and to be learning something! I would never have felt able to just go off on my own for a walk before doing these courses and Helen as a tutor is fantastic, patient, clear and great company. I then went on to do the Bronze and Silver NNAS Navigation courses. I can’t always make the walks due to work but I’ve since been on a few and what was I worried about?? On every walk there is a lovely bunch of ladies and we chat about all sorts of things (okay mainly our dogs!) THEN I was introduced to Helen’s counterpart from South Wales, Alan Ward, for a revision nav session and discussion over lunch…a few days later I signed up to go to Annapurna Base Camp in November with them!! I’m also booked onto the Bryn Walking Slate trails trip next year and is lovely to have something so nice to look forward to. I have gained a new hobby, skills, fresh love of the outdoors (not to mention the Brecon Beacons) and a lovely new group of friends. Feeling very lucky and grateful. |
Details
This page tells of people who have found Bryn Walking and want to share their story, in their own words, of how walking and the outdoors has made a difference to their lives.
AuthorEach story has its own author. Archives
November 2023
Categories |