As I looked at the map and then at my phone, trying to reset the password for this stupid app, I could feel my resolve and confidence seeping away.
We were only 20 minutes or so from the B&B and barely on the edge of the town and yet here we were, on a track, which wasn’t the right one.
My friend gently suggested we retrace our steps back to the main road. I reluctantly agreed; I had no other choice as I’d already stood around for 5 minutes trying to work out where we were to no avail. As we popped back out on the road we could see the sign pointing towards a steep road leading to the Old Man of Coniston. We wouldn’t have seen it before because of the way it was angled.
My friend asked a couple of walkers which way we needed to go. I swallowed my pride and asked them to show me where we were on the map as I’d become totally disorientated.
At that point I could have cried, given up and gone back to the hotel. It wasn’t how I’d intended the day to start.
We plodded slowly up the steep hill, regularly stepping aside to let cars pass on this narrow road leading to the car park at the base of the hills. It seemed there were many people heading up the Old Man today.
We got to the car park and eventually stepped on to the hill track. I started to let the sun warm my spirit and relax a little. Perhaps that was the next mistake I made.
Within 30 minutes we were heading up a very steep section of track, which was rough underfoot. I even said to my friend it didn’t seem right as it didn’t match the map but we continued… until we rounded the corner and were faced with a locked gate and sign saying ‘quarry employees only’. I swore! How could I have made such a mistake?! We had no other option than to make our way back down the track.
I realised at this point that if I didn’t change my mindset the day would only get worse. I began to see the funny side of the situation and reflected that it was just a life lesson and unfortunately I wasn’t doing so well on the test.
When we got back to the bottom of this section and I looked at the map more carefully I realised what we’d done. I hadn’t been paying proper attention. We eventually got going on the right track, in the right direction and slowly made our way up to Goats Water. My friend had clearly lost some faith in me as she asked another walker coming the opposite way if we were heading in the right direction (she later said that was more for her reassurance and not because she didn’t trust me).
Walking towards Goats Water I recalled the photo on my living room wall, of me in a sun hat and shorts, looking relaxed as I climbed the steps beyond that very lake on a lovely summers day. This was a different experience altogether today. I huffed up those steps, my legs feeling like lead. My inner tank was getting lower and lower. As we gained the ridge line, we entered the mist and the temperature dropped. There were strong gusts of wind that knocked us off balance.
My friend gingerly asked if I was OK. I grumbled ‘yes’ – I didn’t know what else to say. Someone else further up the ridge made a light hearted comment about me looking miserable. Wow, did I really look that bad?
Eventually we made it to the summit of the Old Man of Coniston. My friend was eager to get back down after a quick blustery photo. I was relieved that we’d actually got to the top.
Finally my leadership skills kicked in and I made the decision that we would walk back the same way we’d come (without the scenic detours) as I knew my friend wouldn’t have liked the descent route if we’d gone on the circular route. It was much steeper and narrower and with the wind as it was, it would have been hard work and scary.
As we descended the steps back towards Goats Water, my mood gradually lightened and my spirits lifted again. Time to get the flask of tea out and reflect!
It was a long walk that day and a stark reminder about life lessons. The key points I took away:
- Be prepared – physically and mentally
- Pay attention and don’t ignore your gut instincts
- Burnout creeps up slowly and quietly (I’d had a stressful couple of weeks beforehand and thought I was doing OK but I wasn’t)
There were also several things that I was grateful for:
- Overall, the weather was pleasant (the day before and after were very wet and miserable!)
- My friend holding space for me, not judging just supportive
- We got to the top and back safely, in one piece
- The pub just over the road from the B&B served great food so need for an extra walk into town!
Life is an adventure. There will always be ups and downs. The downs just make the ups more enjoyable so we should appreciate all our experiences.