Tag: challenge

Be still

On By Mountains of LifeLeave a comment

After a very long journey yesterday, I had a late start this morning. I decided to warm up on the way to Morskie Oko. For those unfamiliar with Polish mountains, it is a long walk, but a very easy and accessible. Being accessible means that it’s also very busy. Waiting in a queue for the tickets to the National Park, I wondered whether it was the best choice. I wasn’t going to turn back, so I put some sun cream and sunglasses on and set off.

I was surprised how easily I could block out the chatter around me. The trail wasn’t as busy as it could be, but it wasn’t the solitude of the Pyrenees. As soon as I blocked out the human voices, I realised how still everything was. I’m used to this valley at different times of year when there is so much life and sound in nature. Today everything is SO still. The river and the streams that are a source of sound at any other time are totally frozen. Maybe with an exception of one our most famous waterfalls, but at the moment this usually roaring waterfall turned into a very quiet stream and you can hear it only for a moment. I had my headphones with music and audiobooks, but I decide to put them in my backpack. This stillness is so profound.

After stopping at the mountain hut, I decided to go up the yellow trail for a while. I intended only to go to a good spot to take a few pictures of the frozen lake and the hut itself. I didn’t have any equipment with me apart from the trekking poles. I didn’t need crampons or ice-axe for my original plan. I kept walking up thinking that in the worst-case scenario, I’d go back the same way. The conditions up to the final climb were fantastic and even that last section was doable if one knew how. I met a few people, but those places are away from the madding crowd which makes this stillness even more profound. You could hear a bird every now and then, but apart from that there was only the sound of snow crunching under your feet, your heartbeat, your breathing… None of those could spoil that sense of stillness. It’s funny, I didn’t even sing. Neither out loud or in my head. Apart from maybe two moments when the views were so stunning, that ‘O Lord my God when I in awesome wonder…’ simply sprang to my lips. It made me realise that you can well filter out any external noise if you only want to. I often thought that I needed a quiet place to achieve this. An excuse? Possibly…

Every time I allow it to happen, this sense of stillness makes me go deeper into my heart. When I do it like that, I’m at peace.

Be still…

Hear you heart…

Hear your thoughts…

See what’s there and where it will take you…

The art of subtraction

On By Mountains of LifeLeave a comment

‘Subtract all that is distracting and unnecessary until only the essential remains.’

Ali Kazal on Unsplash

If you read my previous posts, you will know that I packed pretty badly for my trip to the Pyrenees. Just before that trip I tried to reflect on things I do and carry in life in general. It wasn’t an easy process and I’m sure that it affected my real packing for the Pyrenees. I had to literally go through the content of my backpack to see what I could and was willing to leave behind then and there to make my backpack lighter. It was interesting to see what was there, what I didn’t need and was ready to leave behind, what I didn’t need, but had too much value to let it go. It was a painful, but priceless lesson.

If you ever hiked, you know that you don’t always need to take the same stuff. Your backpack will be filled with different things depending on various factors: when and where you are going, solo of with other people, how long for etc. You wouldn’t take an ice-axe and crampons in mid-summer (and below the glacier) or short and sandals in winter… Or ropes and harness if you are not going rock climbing… Or ten t-shirts for a weekend… You wouldn’t take to the mountain hut the same gear as you would need while staying in shelters… Or would you… That was my major mistake the last time. I had everything to stay in cabanas – camping stove, cooking pots, super sleeping mat etc. All totally unnecessary in the mountain huts.

There are also things that you always pack – wherever and whenever you go. Things like a light, compass and map. Some food and water, waterproofs and sun cream – just to name a few.

For years my backpacks have been generally getting smaller, but I still haven’t reached the right size. Subtracting is an art. Focusing on the essential is an art.

Working on my metaphorical backpack is more difficult. I know that I need to check its content more often.

What do you carry in yours?

What are your essentials?

What weighs you down?

What can you leave behind? Temporarily or permanently…

What weight can you share with others?

What have you forgotten?

The Pyrenees Day 5: Refugio de Bachimaña – Refuge Wallon.

On By Mountains of LifeLeave a comment

Of course, the forecast was for rain again and this time it rained. Everyone in the refuge wondered how bad it was going to be. I didn’t have much choice. I had to be in refuge Wallon today. I packed everything, put my waterproofs on and set off without rush. Today I definitely needed music to keep me going and ironically the first piece that my phone decided to play was ‘Fall like rain’. Maybe not today, please!

I wondered about all those streams on my way, but I knew that my shoes would need drying after this walk anyway – there’s water coming from every direction today. It’s not heavy, but solid rain. For some reason, I’m in a very good spirit. I crossed the big stream just briefly dipping in one of my boots which I consider pretty good an achievement.

From here I start a steady climb to Port du Marcadau 2541m – the pass that is going to take me over to France. In the sunny weather the views would be stunning, but even in this rain there’s enough drama to make you wonder. The path snakes up and at some point gets surprisingly green. It might be because of the recent rains, I don’t know. It just made me think because it’s quite high and a quite exposed slope. I even saw a flock of sheep – the first on the Spanish side.

As I get closer to the pass, I’m simply walking in water (I was going to say on water, but I’m not sure that my faith is strong enough for that😉) – either on a flooded grassy path or rocks. Further up the landscape becomes incredibly dramatic and I don’t think that it’s just the weather. The rock formation is very different. Though, the word ‘formation’ seems too organised in this case.

As I approach this little pond, there’s only one word that comes to mind that can adequately describe this view. It’s MORDOR and it’s the same on both sides of the pass.

By this time, I’m freezing. When I was leaving in the morning, I knew that wearing waterproofs while carrying full gear and walking up, I would be hot in seconds, so I only had a short sleeve to under my jacket. At over 2500 meters it was really cold. My hands were literally purple. Thanks to my nausea a day before yesterday I had some tea with me, so I had a few sips by that pond and about half a bar of chocolate. I wasn’t that hungry. I simply wasn’t able to brake off a smaller piece. I didn’t bother to get out my hoodie. It was raining too much and by the time I put it on and then my jacket, I would have been soaked. I thought I’d be better off if I kept walking. It’s not the pass itself – as ever in the mountains the distances are deceiving.

When I got to the French side of Marcadau, now aka Mordor, I had Matt Maher singing in my ears ‘If you’re still alive and breathing, praise the Lord…’. I laughed… Someone definitely has a sense of humour. Of course, I’m praising you whatever the weather and whatever happens. It wasn’t an empty praise, either. Even though I was so cold, I felt great. It’s like I crossed the line of something and I’m not quite sure what it is. It’s like it doesn’t matter how cold I felt, how wet…. I was going to say how tired, but I actually didn’t feel tired. I was weirdly energised. This Mordor around me was oddly beautiful. The rocks were stripped in pretty colours. I picked a small stone that mesmerised me with its colours. I put it in my backpack. Silly, considering the fact that I was trying to make this pack lighter.

The Marcadau Valley appeared in front of me and there was suddenly a lot of green around. Quite different from the Spanish side. When the clouds lifted a little, I could see another flock of sheep on the slope in front of me. The rain got lighter, but the streams of water were everywhere and I had to really watch where I was going. I thought that it would be easier after I get to the valley. Well, I was wrong. That beautiful grass was soaked with water, so whether I walked on the path or not, it didn’t really matter – I walked in water. I felt warmer, but crossing all those streams started to frustrate me. However, as they started to get wider and wider, I saw something that made me very happy… Here one definitely needs a bridge 🙂

When I was about 15 minutes away from the refuge, I reached that point when you know that you are close and you are definitely going to make it, but you feel like you don’t want to go any further. I did and I was very pleased to have a long afternoon and evening in warmth.

I finally managed to catch up with journaling. Kristin and Synna, two ladies from Oslo, arrived not long after me. We had a good chat before their dinner. They were on an organised self-guided trip, so had everything planned and pre-booked. I’m not sure how I feel about that idea. I would gladly plan and then hike in a company, but I’m not sure if I want someone to do everything for me. I had another chat with a couple from Edinburgh. I’m still surprised how difficult it is to find English speaking people here.

By the time I finished writing, I was more than ready to sleep.

On the mountain the Lord will provide