Currently in remission following testicular cancer that twice spread to my lungs ‘A Mountain High’ is an attempt to blog my re-kindled passion for the mountains. It’s a branch out from my original blog chroniclling my fight with cancer and twice disrupted our booking to Everest Base Camp. Hopefully I can inspire others in the same way as others blogs inspired me through my illness.
I returned to work early in 2008 and started getting my life back to ‘normal’. Despite being an avid reader of Trail magazine I was conscious that always seemed to be more concerned with reading rather than doing! My health, work, even my recent wedding were all were reasons for not doing, but if my illness should have taught me one thing it is to make the most of each and every day, week, month. I had thrown myself back into work, as if it offered a sense of normality and yet I was not concentrating enough on quality time for me. This was brought home during an annual health assessment last Nov during which a ‘life’ counsellor asked about what I liked doing, and then asked what I actually do. A big mismatch was obvious and reading others blogs, particularly those listed on the right (thanks especially to Martin Rye, PTC and Marcus) gave me the impetus to make a concerted effort to get out in 2009. We started with a New Year trip to Snowdonia, details of which I hope to post shortly.
My chosen name of the blog ‘A Mountain High’ is also reference to the sense of wellbeing, freedom you seem to experience in the mountains – a kind of natural high provided by nature.
Still relatively new to blogging I aim to post when appropriate and not just for the sake of it. Lack of content will hopefully shame (or incentivise) me to get out more! I hope you’ll pop back from time to time – if it inspires just one person in the way other blogs did me then its presence on the web is vindicated.
Your overcoming cancer and getting married let alone up a mountain is inspiration to many including me Nigel. I reckon this blog will continue that and what a gem it is already. I am guilty of ignoring Wales and need to go there more. I need a walk and Wales will be on the destination list for one of them.
Thanks Martin – we all find inspiration in others in so many different ways and the internet and blogs in particular have helped perpetuate a form of self-help philosophy where its easier to share in others experiences and gain inspiration. Must be a good thing!
We do seem to gravitate to Snowdonia – its seems a little closer and more practical to get to for a quick weekend and the mountains seem to have more of a raw edge about them than the Lakes. I’d actually like to spend more time in the Lakes as I know my experience of them is limited but they always seem too far away for a weekend trip.