Mountaineering has been a passion from childhood as I grew up in the Cumbrian fells before “graduating” to the French Alps, the big peaks of the Nepal Himalaya and the frozen waterfalls of La Grave. Ged and Andy were constant companions as we lurched between freezing with cold, occasional fear, but always laughter until our ageing bodies could take no more as Ged and I hit 65 with Andy a youngster at 55. This photo is from one of our Alpine trips and it’s triggered today’s Senryu. Hope you like it?
“Climbing friends resting
The Two Doctors
the mountain waits till morning
how I miss them now”
Ged Swindley 1950-2018
Andy Green 1959-2016
Reflections and memories are part of old age, healthily so too! Today I’ve been thinking about my own mountaineering days as my daughter texts me from a few days break she’s having with her husband in Cumbria. She still can’t find a Cumbrian peak I haven’t stood on top of though!
Categories: Haiku
Haiku #35 Old Times Happy Days 
Haiku #34 The Dunes 
Haiku #32 The Bee Orchid 
Haiku #31 England’s small farms 
The Two Doctors 
“First, find your mountain” — a fitting metaphor for life. Too often, we struggle up the wrong mountain, perhaps even perish on the wrong mountain. And if we perish, it’s often because we struggle alone. We forget, or are too consumed by our struggles to remember, that life is made so much easier when we work together. Thank you for reminding us what is important.
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No thanks, I don’t like heights
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Heights are ok, I didn’t like edges!
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Completely understandable
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“First find your mountain…” A mountain is nothing but a pile of dead rocks and while it doesn’t speak to us, it still has a lot to say to us. Less about themselves than about ourselves.
Mountains were the goal of my childhood dreams. This freedom above the tree line and the vastness of an “ultimate landscape” in which you sometimes make a mistake only once or experience the limits of your physical and psychological limits is difficult to put into words. You can only experience it by yourself.
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Absolutely right, thank you. I discovered a new self as my mountaineering became more extreme, it’s and environment where companionship is vital …. Trust is earned! My next senryu will focus exactly on teaching my limit.
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I’m already looking forward to it
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Very kind, thank you 🙏
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Being up here in the Lakes also triggered so many memories for us of days spent on these amazing mountains. Especially being in Patterdale, we remember meeting up here for an early start out the YHA on a Helvellyn route. Good times.
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Didn’t we practice prussiking with Ged and Andy in patterdale?
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It was a privilege to be part of the club! It was so much fun really miss these guys… always feels like you’re going to bump into one of them while climbing in the lakes 🧗🏼♂️💔
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Thank you Michael, I didn’t know you read my stuff on here ….. sneaky! Hope you’re enjoying Cumbria, check if the chippy in Ambleside does gf. And you were very much part of the club, you’re in my next one mountain post…. I’m sure I’ll find a decent memory where I’m still upright🤣
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