“ALL AT ONCE THE OUTDOORS BECAME A SAFE SPACE. A SPACE WHERE COVID WAS LESS LIKELY TO BE CONTRACTED.”
HEADING Bod
Mental health has been a hot topic for a number of years now,
but in the wake of a pandemic it has become critical. There have been clinically proven benefits to outdoor therapy and I am a huge proponent of this. A decade ago I was diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder,
an illness formally known as manic depression. Mood swings may be extreme and these can happen rapidly or gradually, but either way they are hard to live with. The outdoors provides a balm, a respite and environment for healing. Whether this be invigorating myself on a windy wet day to drag myself out of a depression or expending energy in the highs of a mania. This need for engaging with nature is critical. In 2018, having lived in London for most of my life, I relocated to North Wales. The primary objective was to improve my health. Immersing oneself in the mountains can alleviate anxiety and divert a cluttered mind, allowing one to focus on the path, the pace and the rock. Lock down in the mountains was interesting. Initially people
flocked. When the threat of lockdown was upon us people ‘ran for the hills’; I think they were seeking sanctuary and solace and perhaps even solitude. Snowdon became a mecca. The 2019 photographs of queues on Everest were recreated in their tiny way on Wales’ highest peak. People wanted to gain altitude, to get views, to push themselves physically and get relief from what was a very uncertain period. And then it all stopped. The Snowdon mountain range was closed to visitors. Banners and placards were put up on fences and gateways to the hills. “No entry”, “Closed”
. No go areas were mapped. Vigilantes policed
the hills and villages of the mountains. I saw one day a balaclava person walking the main street with a banner telling people to “go home”. There was a palpable anxiety. The kind of worry that walking or exercise may go some way to quell.
“IMMERSING ONESELF IN THE MOUNTAINS CAN ALLEVIATE ANXIETY AND DIVERT A CLUTTERED MIND, ALLOWING ONE TO FOCUS ON THE PATH, THE PACE AND THE ROCK.”
The hills became forbidden territory. If you entered it was
at your own risk, and for some people who lived further than five miles away from them in Wales it was quite simply illegal. And yet the explorers, the adventurers, and the anxious still surreptitiously ventured in. The draw of the outdoors is compelling. Quiet wandered sallied forth to explore, adventure, to observe and experience nature in the mountains. I ventured with friends on bikes a few miles up the valley. I pushed up hills and mountains looking for a fix, a therapy and a release from the shackles of the daily death tolls, the weekly updates, and the general angst that was awash. Those days were challenging, but also felt oddly liberating. A time of flux.
Today the hills are open once more. The virus seems to be
overshadowed by other news items and the handcuffs of our limited lives have been unlocked. It feels right to sally forth, to share and to reconnect. It is a time to fuel our love of the outdoors and to continue to walk, to talk and to share nature with one another. The significance of the outdoors has been served up to us in a stark but welcome way. Fresh air, the sun, a breeze, snow, rain or hail are all hazards that can be approached with confidence and courage given the right preparation. Each individual’s health has become paramount and pushed forward in our minds. Our own longevity and finite time line has been outlined. This has precipitated different responses. Some have clung to the familiar and others have thrown life’s encumbers aside and refreshed and rethought their lives. I for one have been forced to rethink.
“THE MOUNTAINS AND MOUNTAIN WALKING ARE A WONDERFUL RELIEF AND RELEASE, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO TREAD WITH CARE.”
The mountains and mountain walking are a wonderful relief and release, but it is important to tread with care. There is a real risk in mountain sports that should not be underestimated, and whilst seeking solace is important, sharing the experience with trusted and in some instances trained people, is important too. The pandemic has not been easy for me, nor for many millions of others. We must be gentle, caring and respectful, both of ourselves and of others. Equally whilst embracing our freedoms we must recognise that nature too needs to be appreciated and respected – our natural environment’s sustainability is paramount. The birdsong, butterfly populations and wildflower mixes which all showed marked upticks as a result of the lowered mountain footfall during the pandemic need acknowledging and appreciating. Our interaction with the mountains, with walking and with the outdoors is vital, but we must be mindful and considered. The call to the mountains is a compelling urge, and so too should be a respectful appreciation of them.
Words: Emily Coates
Words: X x x
Emily is a Summer and Winter Mountain Leader as well as the founder of Visit Wild Wales, which she launched in 2020 as the world struggled through the perils of the pandemic and lockdowns. It was during these strange times that she began to appreciate quite how much the wilds of Wales are a wonderful and treasured resource which should be shared.
SUMMIT#105 | SPRING 2022 | 51
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