My Yearly Hike

Photo by Bjorn Snelders

I'm on the train to Inverness, finally.

This year's hike has been postponed a few times, I've had recurring back issues and the weather has beeen both windy and wet, but alas, I am on my way.

It still feels a bit like moving in a dream. On my way to Queen Street station I tried to activate my Trainline ticket and it wouldn’t work. I asked staff at the station and after some back and forth it turned out that I booked for the wrong day, Saturday! This is how this year's pre-hike time felt, weirdly back and forth and yes and no and surreal. For a while I played with the idea of walking the Cape Wrath trail, a long distance and challenging route, often off trail. I'd been wanting to walk it for a while and I had 2 weeks off, plus 2 extra days. But it would have been pushing it. The route is really meant to be walked in 3 weeks and with my sense of orientation I'd be sure to add some extra miles by getting lost. So I decided against it, stayed in Glasgow for a bit and had a lovely slow time there.

The route I'll be walking is the Affric Kintail Way with some add ons. It looks like a good one, becoming gradually more remote.

I've been thinking of downsizing my pack to a lighter & smaller one, but looking at it now, it's full to the brim. Food/ snacks take up a lot of space! I'm curious if I'll ever size down from my 48L to a 32L pack. It would be pretty amazing, less weight, less volume to lug around.

The train just passed Stirling and I can see mountains in the distance with snow on top. The sky is blue and the sun is out and it's easy to forget the grisly weather forecast.

I think planning too much is not good. It's not how I work. I need to plan what's necessary and then get going. If I were to keep observing the weather forecast, I'd probably never leave home.

Just this view from the train is worth it!

My enthusiasm is a bit muffled as I'm due to get my period (great timing) but I am really looking forward to long days outside, to the fresh air, to the chilly nights, not so much the rain and sleet and wind that's forecast, but we'll see.

Exchanging city stench for the smells of nature, the fresh breeze, forest, earth, bark, moss, grass and gorse.

Exchanging my neighbour's tv for the rushing and gurgling of rivers, for the wind and the quiet.

The stress of planning and preparing for the expanse of space internal as well as external.

Time that is just mine.

Not to be productive, not to have any choice but walking forward, just walk and be, like a long movement meditation.

// Siris