Now wonderful follower of the way, this is about the ‘exciting’ stuff.
Alfred Wainright, that wonderful describer of The Lake District refers to a route called Jacks Rake, describing it, appallingly by modern standards, as for ‘men with hairy chests’. My mother was thrilled to scramble this route when I was a boy, metaphorically snubbing her nose at AW.
If you can get past the sexism and non-pc nature of the ‘men with hairy chests’ description, it sort of puts Nordic Trekking into perspective. It’s not a walk in the park (although it is sometimes a Nordic Walk in a National Park). Often exhausting, sometimes misty and wet, and cold, and slippery, and equally can be warm and sunny, and stunningly beautiful.
Just as my Mama relished in the completion of that scramble, so I trust will you if you take up Nordic Trekking. There is nothing like it. And then there’s the sublimely cold beer as you sit in the sun outside the refuge and soak up the view and the alcohol.
We have never had a day when we looked back and wished the day had not been, even that totally mad first day of our first Nordic Trek .
When trying to conclude why I wanted to start this blog-site business, I realised that if I wanted to inspire any one group in particular to take up Nordic Walking it is parents with appendages (teenagers). Two of my daughters, to my initial (and possibly continuing) reluctance, jumped at the chance of joining us on the Tour de Vanoise, and are nagging to come again. The third was otherwise committed or would have been there as well, and indeed by weight of previous absence claims future precedence!
But why would a teenager, possibly a normally moody, stroppy, social-media addicted teenager ever consider joining her annoying and demanding, disciplinarian parents. Just cos, do you really need to ask?! The medium length days, Nordic Pole Walking an often narrow but awesome way, lead to silence and reflection. The views call for deep absorption and deep-down joy, and the heady scent as you suck deep draughts of air brings happiness as a gift from the Almighty. They may not express it in such a way, but will probably return for more if the weather is clement and the food ok.
After parents with teenagers are my fellow middle-agers, realising that maintaining body and soul in some degree of positive semblance can be done in the most amazing places on this planet. That there are routes that don’t require climbing precipitous routes, and at the end of the day there is a hot meal and warmth.
Tour de Queyras
Tour de Queyras – The Reason
Tour de Queyras – The Journey
Tour de Queyras Part 1
Tour de Queyras Part 2
Tour de Queyras Part 3
New Posts will be added shortly.