Walking through the moorland with not a soul in sight, your senses finally able to relax and a sense of peace settle over you. Knowing that here, in this splendid isolation, there is a chance for you to release all the tension that you live with everyday.
That to me is one of the joys of hiking. A chance to let my guards down. No annoying background noises that filter out the wind rustling through the heather. No meeting other people and having to remember social niceties. No visual constraints, just the sky and the ground meeting each other in a glorious distance.
I go walking into isolated places as a chance to reset my mind and unload all the stresses that time in a neurotypical world places upon me. After a week, the need to escape becomes huge and that I’ve discovered this release has been vital for my mental health. It has allowed me to have a happier outlook on life and a more positive viewpoint.
Looking out onto beautiful landscapes whilst this is happening works to feed my soul. To see a sparrowhawk riding the air currents, a mountain hare amongst the heather, or to hear the call of the grouse, gives joy to my inner being. You absorb so much, and it’s all there just a step or two away.
The added bonus is that it keeps me fit, walking up and down hills is great for that. To start with I would be taking plenty of tactical scenic breaks whilst I caught my breath, but as my fitness got better these breaks become fewer. That I can achieve this at the same time, away from a treadmill, makes it even more splendid.
I come home with a refreshed mind, body and soul. What other reason do I need to go again?
By Michael
