Before I start this blog proper I must apologise for my terrible 'Carlos Santana' moustache but hey, it's the best I could do (actually the best one I've ever grown for Movember).
Movember, if we're considering it just a month, is coming to an end and it seams to me that this year the promotion of it was much more prominent on Social Media than previous years. I guess one could easily make the connection that this was because of the Covid pandemic and an increase in mental health issues due to everything from Lockdowns, lack of work/income through to loss of loved ones and a whole range of other reasons.
You may be interested to know that the Movember movement is not solely focused on men's mental health but a range of men's issues. The ones maybe that us men, don't come forward enough about. You can read more about them here on the rather good Movember website (https://uk.movember.com/?home)
However, in this day and age and during these Covid times I think the message we can learn from Movember is that it (the message) crosses gender boundaries and therefore . . . my moustache, and this blog, is for anyone who may have been struggling with the impact of the virus, or just the normal trials and tribulations of their lives.
Looking North and East towards the Berwyn Mountains
If we focus just on mental health issues though, there's no doubt that fresh air and physical exercise can have a huge impact on how we feel about ourselves, our interactions with other people and our lives in general. And, outdoor activities such as rock climbing and mountain walking are well known to provide the 'resets' we need from time to time in order to stay motivated, happy and contented.
Out of all the outdoor activities and hobbies I've done in my life I've always found hill/mountain walking (particularly in remote areas) to be the best for 'the soul/mind' where sitting on a ridge overlooking valleys or other mountains in perfect silence with just the odd 'cry' from a raptor (bird of prey) letting you know that 'you're not alone', rejuvenates you in a way that is hard to beat. And of course we're not alone, whatever our minds try to tell us when we're feeling down. There's always a friend or family member there to help pick us up when we most need it and we have to remember that.
The sun goes down on an amazing day in the Welsh Mountains
The mountain photos on this blog were taken on November 26-27th on a two day hike I made with a friend covering 22km a day in the 'Dyfi Hills' and the 'Aran Range' which you can access from the village of Dinas Mawddy in Southern Snowdonia. Even in Wales you can find areas remote enough to almost be called 'wilderness' and I've completed a few two-day walks where I haven't seen anyone.
The view down into the breath taking Cwm Hengwm and Cwm Cywarch
There are many us of out there who are 'dreamers' with endless thoughts of what we'd like to do and where we'd like to go. The hardest part of making turning your dreams into reality is walking out the front door. If you'd like instruction on climbing or hill walking then contact me. If you feel you don't need it then just make those dreams come true and get out there, the world is your oyster!