Helvellyn

How much exercise do you do?  Ahem, well I have never considered myself a Wild Woman before and I have certainly have never been a gym bunny but neither have I lost my body’s memory that I grew up mainly outside, like a little Mowgli.

Okay then, you can come and climb a mountain….  As we ventured over Kirkstone pass in the car with Dick (honorary Wild Woman) and Sharon (my outdoor hero) I realised that we were doing it. Yes we were doing it, despite the low lying cloud, the persistent drizzle and that secret, yet niggly feeling in my left knee.  And the nearer we got to Glenridding carpark, the more real it became.

I remembered my last climb of this mountain back in my Mowgli days, accompanied by my late father and a group of intrepid explorers. A cold and icy journey down Striding Edge.  Landing up in the car park this Sunday morning, in the misty drizzle, Wild Women began to appear from cars, full of beans and a little trepidation. We fuelled up on coffee at the cafe and off we set in our rainbow array of waterproofs.

Sarah had planned an ascent of Striding Edge and then a descend of Swirrel Edge. We had about 5 hours of daylight to get back down to the cars. Off we set, and 200 metres into the ascent I realised why I hadn’t climbed a mountain for some years, the climb hurt, my legs ached, I was out of breath and my head said ‘there are other things you could be doing on a Sunday morning Leila’… Then I heard Dick’s voice ‘Slow down – you climb your own mountain’. And he was right, just because a few people had scampered ahead, didn’t mean it was a race. So, I slowed down and found a pace where I could walk and talk.

Once we got to Striding Edge it became apparent that some of the group were a little less comfortable with heights and climbing, of which there is a far bit of during the ascent of Striding Edge. However, with the support of the group, and the fuel of our sandwiches, we all made it up to the summit.

I actually found myself in my element on the ascent of Striding Edge – when it comes to dancing I have always felt I have two left feet, however, on the bare rock face, I felt grip, grit and determination.

Having never been one to join groups, particularly not a walking group, I had had some reservations about meeting up with a load of women and sharing our fears and (maybe) tears, out on the hill. However, the group was warm, welcoming and inclusive.  Next time we venture out, I invite you to join us and remember ‘these mountains that you are carrying, you were only supposed to climb’ ~ Najwa Zebian.