Issue #47 The Misc. Adventures Digest

On the Merits of an Intentionally Wet Wander

We have been lucky the past few weekends. There has typically been at least one day out of the two where the weather has been good enough to plan for a day out in fells. This weekend however, back-to-back days of rain hampered plans for long hikes in the mountains. Living in one of the wettest parts of the country, the odd rainy weekend is inevitable I suppose. Still, we learned long ago that it is often worth the while to walk in the rain, even though you may have to wrestle with the desire to stay indoors, warm and dry. After spending Saturday at the Kendal Mountain Festival, Sunday was a day for heading outside with no other intention than to get wet.

Slender birch twigs bejewelled with tiny water droplets

It is much easier to drag ourselves outside up here in the Lake District. Even in the drizzle and gloom of a rainy autumn day there is much beauty to be found. The way the clouds hang in tatters on the fells, or spill over passes filling whole valleys, the way the becks and gills swell and run free, cascading down hillsides into patiently waiting rivers and lakes, or the way the dry stone walls glow green with glistening mosses and polypody ferns, and the way in which trees hang on to yellows and golds that cut through the gloom like candles flickering in the darkness. This is a landscape that belongs to the rain.

There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing, or so the saying goes. There is some truth to this, and we’re certainly thankful to be fully clad in our trusted waterproofs as we set out from the car and up the steep track. Perhaps more important however is attitude; you can choose to let the weather beat you down and drive you inside, or you can choose to embrace the wet, wind and cold and revel in immersing yourself in Nature whatever the weather. I’m not going to lie, even for us it can be hard sometimes to force ourselves outside on grim days, but whenever we do we rarely regret our decision.

A local tarn, the surrounding mountains hidden in the clouds

Our hike took us to one of the first places we explored after moving up here - a glacial tarn in the rugged, craggy fells surrounding Eskdale with views into the heart of the mountains. With little knowledge of the surrounding area, this place seemed remote, isolated, daunting even on our first visit. But now, equipped with insights into how the local fells and valleys connect and with confidence in our hill skills, we feel at home here and at ease, even in the wild weather.

Paths had turned to rivulets and we splashed up the trail, the surrounding mountains concealed by the low cloud. With distant views hidden, we are forced to notice details in the foreground; a birch tree laden with water droplets, glistening like tiny jewels, each one a universe in miniature; a small pool filled with water so clear it is hard to focus on the almost invisible surface; the concentric ripples from raindrops as they plunge into puddles and shallow pools.

Initially a little less enthusiastic than me to venture out into the rain, Benji has all his cares washed away by the wet weather and jumps happily from puddle to puddle, squelching through bogs, running wild and free.

Benji running free and wild

At the edge of the tarn, we unpack our bright orange bothy bag and the three of us take refuge inside, sat on our rucksacks, sipping hot drinks and feasting on cheap individually wrapped croissants. The rain pitter patters comfortingly on our little shelter and I imagine what we must look like from the outside.

Heading back down, a little cold and unsurprisingly wet, we are comforted by the fact we only have short drive home and warmed by a slight smugness that we chose to venture out when when we could have stayed in.

We have only been out a couple of hours, but these hikes in the rain, a small act of defiance, meditations on the connection between earth and sky, give far more than they expect in return.

NB: This was our first outing in our new Hanwag Banks hiking boots - we’re happy to report our feet stayed warm and dry despite the squelchy conditions! Full report on these coming soon…

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Well, that’s all for this week. We’d be interested to know how you feel about venturing out into wet weather - do you ever go out with the intention of getting soaked and blustered about? Or is bad weather a good excuse for you to hunker down? Do let us know by leaving a comment, emailing or communicating however you see fit!

With warm wishes for what looks like a few colder days ahead,

Andrew, Emma and Benji

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