Hiking doesn’t have age limit

After staying in London for the whole summer I was already having a feeling of discovering the UK deeper. I was keen to explore new places and enjoy nature on this side of the world. Our friend proposed to do hiking and eventually we rent a car and went for a dream trip to the Lake District at the end of August. We chose the hill Helvellyn, which is the third highest mountain in England. I never heard about that place before, but definitely, now it takes a big part in my heart.

I did hiking before, but none of them was something close to the one we had. Even though we were losing our chosen path a couple of times, nature was compensating for everything. Curious goats and ships were in the most unexpected places.  New paths and new peaks were giving different sights. Waterfalls and planted fields turned out to be exactly what I needed after staying in busy London. And just imagine how the mountain’s blueberries taste! Nyam.

(make sure to check pictures in a full-size ;))

We prepared ourselves mentally for climbing up to the top. The higher we were hiking to Helvellyn, the cloudier it was becoming. Eventually, we found a man, Phil, who became an amazing guide and turned out to be a true-life example for me. He is nearby to be retired, but it doesn’t reflect on his physical ability to climb and do sport regularly. Out of 4 of us, he was the most resistant to weather conditions. All of us were wearing warm pullovers and waterproof jackets when he was wearing only a sleeveless T-shirt. Imagine yourself being 950 meters above the sea in the mountains. What do you think the weather there looks like? (Also take into account Great Britain’s climate). Apparently wearing a T-shirt is the least you want in those conditions…

All that made me question myself: “How many people do I know who could do hiking after 60 years old and keep remaining being in such a good physical shape?” I couldn’t find any person. It made me think that then I want to become such a person!

On the way to conquer the hill Phil advised us to be careful: “I have heard about people falling from the edge, but I never heard about people who felt twice. Don’t take this path as an easy one”. Later I understood why he was saying so, as my knees were almost shaking from the view of all those cliffs and highs (that have taken someone’s lives away). The weather conditions were not helping and the fog was making hiking even more complicated. We had to keep an eye on every single move and look carefully where to step in order not to fall and literally not to fly away.

After getting to the very top of the hill, you eventually feel that the whole process of climbing was way more fascinating and fulfilling than the goal by itself. It is one of those moments when you understand that almost everything in life works like that.  Whether you are climbing uphill or want to make your dream true try not to run behind it blindly. Take the best from that experience, obstacles, failures, enrichments, and losses, as they are the essence of our transformation.

Indeed, the hiking trip made me more persistent and fearless. But what I will remember when looking back is Phil and his wondrous spirit. He showed that age doesn’t take away the adventures and the beauty of life.  Age is not a reason to stop doing things that you feel passionate about.

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Life lesson: Let’s become owners of our health, long liveness, and mindset. We are what we believe we are.