UKC

We topped-out on our first objective before I found my legs lacking under the weight of my rucksack, but kept on, finding that the further we went the less tired I got. 'Athlete's high', it was called, Dad said. The brisk breeze cooled the warm sun, allowing us to walk, run and climb. At the crest of each hill, I could hear the silence, interrupted only by my beating heart. It felt like an impossible beauty. The stretched hills and deep valleys – endless.  The Solway glistened in the distance and if you squinted just right, you could see the Isle of Man on the horizon.

As I bonded with the earth beneath my feet, I bonded with the man who raised and loved me. I was finally at an age to know him and relate with him. Finally at an age to understand him. The world was silent and the atmosphere comforting, we spoke not in words but in experiences and understanding.

S5 pupil Sylvie Colchester wrote this reflective and touching essay about climbing in the Lake District with her father for her Higher English portfolio. 

Read more

Nice work! I enjoyed it. I hope you keep writing about your experiences in the hills

Lovely writing, makes me want to climb! 

That was an enjoyable read of climbs done more than 30 years back. When the experience is like this is there any better feeling, any better place to be, the cherished memories lasting forever. Thanks for posting. This is what being in the hills is all about.

Same. I did Innominate Crack almost 30 years ago with my Dad. I must have been about 14/15 at the time and I took the lead on a summer's day with a warm breeze blowing through.

Reminds me of a weekend I spent in Langdale with my youngest daughter. Great writing

lovely - brought a tear to my eye and has given me some impetus to take my daughter on a similar adventure.

Great stuff. Captures so much of the privilege of climbing in a family partnership. Keep writing, keep climbing!

Crikey, that brought a tear to my eye. If he's anything like me, your dad will have been in bits when he read that! I'd love to one day be able to share similar adventures with my kids (they're a bit wee just now) and have them write so well about it.

Amazing! Thanks for sharing. What a talented writer.

That last paragraph is a thing of beauty.

Great article. I particularly liked the paragraph before the last photo (beginning "Reaching another pinnacle,..."). It sums up perfectly why we do it.

Really enjoyed reading that, thanks for sharing