International Mountain Day

International Mountain Day is something I only discovered today (11th December).  I’ve been heading up into the hills all my life, so thought I should consider why; for me it’s mainly about enjoying the company of friends, plus of course that sense of achievement, the ability to see into the distance from the summit and knowing that the fresh air and exercise is beneficial.

My first real summit was Catbells, in the English Lake District at the age of 10.  There have been quite a few others since then and walks that went through the mountains rather than over the tops.  I’ve also skied and rock-climbed and scrambled in them.

Earlier this year, we decided to formalise our many years of experience in the hills with a Mountain Leader training course.  This was itself a wonderful week in Wasdale, in the English Lake District.  The criteria for qualification include navigation, first aid, group management, wild camping and river crossing skills, plus knowledge of mountain weather and flora and fauna.  It was a busy week. 

The follow on from this training is that we now “have” to spend many Quality Mountain Days in our favourite parts of the UK in order to present ourselves for assessment for the award.  This is no hardship, although we will be spending holidays in the mountains of the UK next year rather than travelling abroad, with the additional benefit of reducing our carbon footprint.

“Learning new skills” is one of the 5 steps to mental wellbeing promoted by the NHS.  (We’re honing our existing skills, although for example best practice in Outdoor First Aid situations has changed over time.)  Mountains don’t appeal to everyone, but everyone can learn something new at any age.  The key is to find something that is enjoyable.