Summer is drawing to a close, especially here in more northerly latitudes. Autumn colours are starting to make their debut this year. The nights are drawing in and warm sunshine is an ever increasingly valuable commodity. Synthetic base-layers in my wardrobe are being replaced with last year's merino and my thoughts are already turning towards planning ski trips and wondering if there is a place in my gear for a bit of Paramo....
So with all this talk of Autumn, why the feeling of Spring in the air? Well, Spring is a time for fresh starts and re-growth. After a personally tumultuous summer I now have new things to look forward to. A recent steady diet of Guinness, Lucky Strikes and apathy is giving way to a fresh start, new opportunities and a desire to get out into the mountains again.
I tried easing myself back out into the mountains with a Sunday afternoon ridge walk with a Norwegian friend who didn't let up on the pace and handed my ass to me in a sling. The recent relentless rain left the hillsides literally flowing underfoot. The troll-inhabited fairytale forests surrounding the ridge were awash with green. My senses were being assaulted. The steep ascent and blustery wind blew many a recently affixed cobweb away. The endorphins washed away the apathy and ideas for new adventures were turning over in my mind.
Here's to Autumn/Winter/Spring/Summer*
(* delete as applicable)