Mountains!

What is it they say……………………………”When life gives you lemons………………..make lemonade!”

So that’s what I’ve been doing…………….not making lemonade 🤣…………………but making the best of challenging times. Because what a rollercoaster these last few weeks have been in so many ways…………………………….just wake me up when summer is here in a few days!

And as per usual I’ve been trying to keep all the plates spinning…………………… and I’ve not quite made it to the finish line! I’ve got myself so run down I picked something up a week or two ago and I’ve been on antibiotics. I’m fine now……….recovered, but my tablets have left me feeling a bit rubbish, like antibiotics sometimes do. But that is quite possibly because I decided, in very hot weather, that I would still go on the 11 mile, off-road, running club social run ………………… because I hadn’t got a broken leg, therefore I could still do it! So it’s a little bit my own fault I feel tired!

Now there is a theory from my boys at home, and others, that their mother attends these club runs not for the run, but for the social, chattering, beer and burger. I can’t possibly think where they get that idea from.😆

Yes, I might be 54, and clinging onto the back of the group like a piece of elastic………………….but there’s probably not a distance, speed or terrain I would not attempt to run in order to get my hands on a ‘smashed patty’ beef burger and pint of Coopers ale. 🤣

Because the problem with me is I am so full of wisdom, advice, love and loyalty for my friends but I don’t then listen to my own advice or body! So for the next few days I am going to listen to myself, my body, my own words of wisdom so that I’m in tip top shape for summer. I’m going to try and rest, but it’s quite hard…….because not all girls are made of sugar, spice and everything nice……………..some are made of adventure, cake, hugs, love, courage, intelligence and chocolate. 🤣

So this afternoon I’m just going for a little stroll in the fields around home, making a cherry and almond cake (and eating it 😂), and reading my book. Normally when I’m under the weather I disappear to a mountain, but I’m too tired even for that. But I did have a lovely disappear to a mountain a few weeks ago to escape it all and had lots of time to think, so I thought I’d share my thoughts on mountains with you today, what they’ve taught me, my favourite mountains etc. etc.

It’s where I’d be today if I had the energy……………….because for me mountains are like medicine. They are also like humans in a way……………. but without all the crap, attitude and complexities that come with human relationships. Animals come a close second to mountains……………with an animal you get out what you put in and more. In my rank of my likes and dislikes I think mountains would be number one. Also in the top 10 would be birds, flowers, water, books, hugs, animals, cake (perhaps this would claim second spot above animals?), chocolate………………………………..and way down towards the bottom of the list would be humans (with a few exceptions😁)!

So what is it about mountains that attracts me, and what can we learn from them? Mountains are so much more than their height or altitude. Each one has a unique personality, a unique character, unique challenges and a unique beauty. So in that way they are almost human, as we all have the same unique characteristics.

And the biggest is not always the best! What do I mean by that? Well, if you ask anyone who is in love with mountains to name their favourite mountain I can guarantee you that they will be able to………………….and I would put my money on the fact that in 9 out of 10 cases it will not be the biggest. It will be the one with the personality, character, beauty and challenges that resonates with their own being and their soul.

I thought I’d test this little theory out with my eldest. With the adventurous spirit that he’s inherited he’s climbed some big mountains. His highest have been Chachani near Arequipa in Peru, at 6,075 metres high, and Illimani in the Bolivian Andes, at 6,438 metres. However, even though he has a little tattoo of the outline of each on the back of his calf, because they are the highest he’s climbed, they are not his favourite. Apparently the technicality of getting up there and the appearance of the mountain are his determining factors for the title of ‘favourite mountain’.

Take myself for instance. ‘Snowden’ ……….highest in Wales, third highest in the British Isles, and the one I bust a gut to run up and get my medal a few months ago. Is it my favourite?…………………….Absolutely not! Is it beautiful?…………………..Yes, outstandingly. It is also exceedingly busy………………..you’ll not have a lot of solitude because it’s a favourite with the Tik Tokers for the sunrises and sunsets. There’s a reasonably straightforward route to the top so it’s accessible (too accessible), and there’s even a little train to the top and a café on the summit……………….which in my eyes means it’s not a ‘proper’ mountain…………………..even though it is a challenge to run up!🥵

Then there is ‘Scafell Pike’, the highest in England and second highest in the British Isles. That one I went up only a few weeks ago, for the first time in my life, but it’s still not my favourite. I liked it because up there I found that much needed solitude. If you take the long way up (which most people don’t, but I did) you have miles of solitude. But some people don’t like solitude……………….they are positively scared of it. Because with solitude, comes lots of time to think…………….and with lots of time to think comes self-discovery…………………..and then comes the truth and the answers. But sometimes the truth and the real answers are scary to people, they are not what they want to hear because they would rather bury their head in the sand than take a dive into the unknown, and that’s just fine if that’s what they want.

Einstein said of solitude “I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity”. I’ll second that……………I hated being alone, the only child, when I was younger…………….but now in my years of maturity I see it as a gift.

So, back to Scafell Pike……………………………it gets a tick for solitude. It also gets a tick for adventure and challenge, depending which way you go up it’s a hard ascent, probably the reason you don’t see many other people on this route up. And to cross from Scafell Pike to Scafell there is the infamous ‘Lords Rake’ and adjoining ‘West Wall Traverse’. This is a dangerous ascent as it is a gully of loose rock and it is very steep. Whilst not too difficult you need a really good head for heights. You also have to ensure the ‘rake’ is clear above. Whilst you climb it, rocks fall down the rake behind you, so you really need to move quickly and do it one person at a time as the last thing you want is an avalanche of rock coming down on you from the person in front, you would potentially be in lots of trouble if this happened.

I don’t have a good head for heights, but in the words of Edmund Hillary (first climber confirmed to have reached the summit of Everest), “Its not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” And on my ascent of ‘Lords Rake’ this was certainly true. The battle was with myself and my fear which I managed to overcome.

So life is just like a mountain in this way too. Life will be full of mountains, obstacles and personal challenges and the real battle will never be the mountain or the obstacle, it will lie within ourselves and our ability to self overcome our fears and take a calculated risk. And that risk assessment has to be a dynamic risk assessment, risks continually reviewed, and responses amended. Because just as important as it is to take the risk, it’s also acceptable stop, and it’s good to remember that too. Because in the words of Ed Viesturs, probably one of the greatest mountaineers of my time, “Getting to the top is optional, getting down is mandatory”. And that’s an important lesson to learn too.

And just like in life, there will be many paths to the top……………………..do you take the easy route or do you take the road less travelled which will contain the potential for self-discovery, adventure and growth, albeit a little more risky and difficult………………..the choice is yours. But my point is that there are so many similarities between mountains and life. Therefore there are many lessons learnt on the mountains which can be applied to everyday life.

But it is important to take the risk in life when feasible, before fear makes you settle, because fear is the barrier to true happiness and progress. But fear is good, provided you have courage too. Fear can keep us safe, highlight the risks. I’m not saying I don’t have fear. I’m full of fear. Most people will tell you I am very aware of the risks and risk averse……………………………..but I also have lots of courage. The courage to challenge those fears and overcome them when it’s safe to do so. The balance between fear and courage is a good one to get right. I’m still working on it, I still think I could do with a bit more courage and a little less fear.

But was Scafell Pike my favourite? ………………….. NO! It has challenge, it has solitude…………………..but it’s just not that pretty and the views aren’t that great from the top. It’s just a bit bland. And the summit is so crowded with everyone up there who have taken the easy way up. It’s another mountain popular with the Tik Tok crowd.

I’ve not been up the highest in the British Isles yet, Ben Nevis in Scotland (it’s on my list), so which mountains are my favourite and why!?

Well, my absolute favourite I can’t include, because at 597 metres high, it’s 3 metres short of being an official UK mountain…………………….and that is Haystacks in the Lake District. Just simply because of the solitude, views and gorgeousness of it. It was the favourite fell of Alfred Wainwright, famous British fell walker, guidebook writer and illustrator of the Lakeland mountains and fells. He described Haystacks as “supreme for beauty, variety, and interesting detail”. He liked it so much it is his final resting place, his ashes being scattered at Innominate Tarn on Haystacks. I’d agree with him………………..it’s definitely my favourite Lake District fell, even though it’s not officially a ‘mountain’.

In England, it has to be Helvellyn in the Lake District which is my favourite official mountain. At 950m it’s not that much smaller than Scafell Pike at 978m. But for me this one has everything. It has swimming spots and pretty tarns on the way up. It has a multitude of different ways up but all of them are quite tough, and if you want adventure there is the exhilaration of the ‘Striding Edge’ way up to the top. It’s quieter than the others so you will get solitude if that’s what you are after. And last but not least, there are amazing views both from the top and all the way up. It basically ticks all my boxes!

But I’m not done with mountains yet, I still have a lot more walking to do hopefully, and a list of mountains I’d like to wander up, because with every mountain usually comes a new life lesson, a bit more resilience, another part of the jigsaw of life solved…………….there’s a lot more to learn out there from mountains! There is still time yet for something to top Helvellyn as my favourite.

In other news……………it’s been a busy few weeks on the allotment garden front too. Today I have some little sweet yellow courgettes, artichokes and potatoes to rustle up into something.

But the bumper crop of the past few weeks have been juicy berries. Raspberries, blackcurrants, white currants, redcurrants and strawberries.

So I’ve spent a couple of hours this morning jam making!! I have 9 jars in total so far, 3 raspberry and 6 blackcurrant.

There is nothing finer than some homemade blackcurrant jam on freshly baked and buttered toast! 😍

Anyway…………………I’m back now from my afternoon wander from home………………..as I write these little posts in more than one sitting.

The view from Beacon Hill in the village was lovely today.

As were the corn fields and the sky and the clouds.

But it was very hot and sweaty today so I was easily distracted less than a mile from home when I passed the equestrian centre and saw ‘The Stables’ café was open! Nice little flat white, piece of almond Bakewell and a bottle of water to take on my peaceful afternoon stroll in peace and quiet. I did ask my 22 year old mini-me if he wanted to come with me but apparently he was ‘busy’………………………………doing what looked to be nothing! 😂

The only dilemma now is I’ve baked my cherry and almond cake and I feel like I can’t have any until tomorrow as I’ve already had almond Bakewell! Or can I?😆

So that’s all for today……………….my lessons learnt and thought’s about mountains, they really are amazing things. Which one is your favourite and why?

Tonight I have a lovely little night planned. The local village are raising money for the flower festival and are holding a summer concert this evening. I’ve been drafted in to sing……….I didn’t have to think twice about saying ‘Yes’! I love a good sing and it’s a lovely set list, all about the beauty of the earth and nature, with a few fun pieces, like a four part arrangement of the ‘Teddy Bears Picnic’ for the little ones. 😍

There have also been small developments on the olive front. I’ve been looking after them so well and look what’s happened! 😁 There might be olive oil after all!😂

That really is all I have time for now until September. I simply cannot wait for my escape…………..solitude…………….3 days until I step on that plane, wave goodbye to everyone for over a month and collect my little hire car at the airport for my summer adventure and reset. And yes, there might be a few mountains on the agenda! In fact, I have one planned for next weekend in Basque country as I explore myths and legends……………. if the weather is not too cloudy. It looks like it has all the attributes to make it into my Top 10…………I’ll be climbing it solo though so I just have to have the nerve to finish off the last section which looks a little bit like I might not like it……………….but let’s see. I’m sure it will be a nice day out anyway. So that’s the last update until September………………..happy Summer everyone!