Solo Hike

I am currently sat here watching the rain outside the window, nursing a pint of tea and feeling a bit achy from my hike a few weekends ago.

As I mentioned in a previous post, one of my goals for the year was to solo hike more when Sam has other commitments. As someone who is a bit of an introvert and quite shy, taking the plunge for a solo hike was no mean feat, but I did it and today I am feeling pretty chuffed with myself. 

Friday night came around and I had my route all planned out, an easy hike up to the Great Ridge and Mam Tor. For my first solo outing, I wanted to visit somewhere I knew and somewhere I felt comfortable. I also knew that there were plenty of opportunities on this walk to let Luna off her lead to have a good run-around. As I went to bed that night though, I was concerned, the wind was absolutely howling outside and I was worried my plans would be scuppered by yet another storm. 

When my alarm woke me at 6am I was gutted to see there was still a gale blowing and it was now raining. I felt disheartened and concerned about traveling to the Peaks when the weather was so bad, so reluctantly decided against it. I fell back into a restless sleep before waking a little while later, but as I lay there I couldn’t get the trip out of head. I didn’t want to be cooped up in doors and I didn’t want to go anywhere local. After another tough week, I was desperate to feel the cold on my face, the wind in my hair and to walk myself better, so with this in mind, I jumped out of bed determined I was going- so I did. 

An hour later I was on the train and heading for Edale with Luna in tow, I knew my walk, had my rucksack packed and was feeling excited about the day ahead. As I rested back in my seat, the sun finally broke through and I crossed my fingers (and toes) that this was a good sign. However, as the train rattled through the Peaks, I could feel and hear the wind as it rocked the train. Hopping off in Edale with many other hikers and walkers, we wandered past the church to the start of our walk. 

Despite it being very boggy and wet, we were both glad to be out of the confines of the train and into the windy valley. Despite the weather, the views were clear and Kinder loomed impressively in the distance (I will be heading there next so stay tuned). Thankfully there were not many people around, so we could enjoy the calm silence. Once up onto the ridge, things got a little hairy, the wind was stronger and blew us along up to the trig point of Mam Tor, but I didn’t care, the views were immense as usual. 

With no one else around, it gave me five minutes to reflect on the day, I felt proud of myself for pushing myself despite the weather and I felt confident and self-assured. I also felt a little silly for not doing it sooner and trusting in my own abilities. Feeling stress free and with the weather closing in, we rambled back down the way we had come, enjoying the feeling of the wind behind us this time to help us along. 

I definitely feel a real sense of achievement and feel ready for a more challenging hike next time. I trust my navigation skills and know I can do it, for my next hike I am planning on heading back to my old favourite Kinder Scout via Jacobs Ladder and I cannot wait. For anyone thinking shall I do it? Can do it by myself? Go for it; trust in your own skills and think of the rewards afterwards. Start simple and choose a walk you know and feel comfortable doing. It could be the start of a great journey.