Little things that makes walking special

[JTweedie]

After reading one of the walk reports which showed a peaceful early morning scene at Loch Lomond, it made me reflect on the small moments that really make walking (and the outdoors in general) special.

So the little thing that occurred to me was: when I arrive at a car park very early in the morning on a calm day, and I step out of the car and there's total silence - no other cars, no people, no wind, no rain, not even the sound of a bird singing, just total silence. I enjoy hearing the birds normally, but I'm thinking just of that one initial moment when there are no sounds around at all, it's relatively rare and mainly experienced really early in the morning. It always lends an air of optimism to the impending walk and makes me forget about work and the city for a little while at least.

Any other little things that you really enjoy?

[iainwatson]

i agree on the silence thing but for me i prefer it on the summit

total silence is rare,usually there are birds or the sound of water flowing below,people(i'm not anti-social ) and even the noise of the wind,but i've experienced it once and its magical,almost deafening

After being out today in the fabulous weather i'm finding it difficult to pinpoint anything else,the whole day was fantastic-the walk/cycle-the weather-the views-meeting up with fellow walkers from on here-seeing a stag-seeing a rainbow

today was a great day!

[Kevin29035]

My most powerful moment of any trip are always the ones where I reach the summit ridge and achieve a new panorama of mountains, climb out of the clouds into blue sky... those sorts of things. They make my hair stand on end. I tend to look at mountains as artistic things and I'm horribly romantic. I drove home from Inveraray this afternoon tired from the hill, with the sun setting and making the clouds pink-tipped. The sky was deep blue and I rounded the Rest and Be Thankful and an orange Cobbler came out with the huge Moon hung squarely above it. Then the joy of just being in the Highlands. My moments are always that oneness and peace, and walking is a kind of means to an end.

[Caberfeidh]

Unsuspecting victims, no witnesses and loads of room to bury the remains in shallow, unmarked graves....

[NickyRannoch]

Early morning late evening light that show up every colour imaginable on water rock grass sky and snow. the feeling after a long pull of getting a wee stretch of easier plateu or ridge to sail along on taking in the views. other hill days remembered and anticipated by catching sight of them from 70 odd miles away.discovering the true layout and geography if the country unrestricted from the road

[Kevin29035]

discovering the true layout and geography if the country unrestricted from the road

I do that a lot. Working out what's where.... it's incredible the amount you can't see from the road. It makes what you can seem pretty ordinary by comparison... Then when you go to a new set of hills and the ones you thought you knew look totally different.

My favourite one was doing Meall Glas for the first time on a nice October sunrise and coming over the hill to see Ben More and Stob Binnein and Ben Lui.... they look completely different and my eyes popped out my head.

[Caberfeidh]

and my eyes popped out my head.

I love it when that happens. Ravens love it too.

[MG1976]

Little things that make walking special...

No Words Required....

[SouthernUplandKing]

In relation to MG's post, the thing that makes walking special for me is that I get to hit the hills with my dad most of the time. I'm glad we both have something we enjoy doing together and it makes us work together with navigation and decision making.

Other than that, the sheer elation of seeing cairns and trig points is my favourite part just now !

I can remember climbing Culter Fell when I was 15 and it was snowing and sleeting and the cloud was down, I only had trainers and my £20 waterproofs on, my dad was behind me and I bascially ran to the top of the hill and bust my lungs with happiness, I think the other guys who were there got a bit of a fright. I vowed never to look at another hill after that soggy, horrid, wet, slushy day. But the hills got the better of me and now I'm in it full time

[IainG]

I love the post walk moments:

- the wandering round Tescos, famished, looking for anything savoury and cheap with agonising, sunburnt legs
- that cold pint of lager at the end of a good day on the hills
- entering the zombie like state of exhaustion when you get home, not giving a hoot about anything needing prepared for work the next day
- being the only one at a work in February with a full blown suntan!!

[ChrisW]

When walking I love to be alone, really, truly, absolutely alone; hence my avoidance of 'popular' walking places (mostly) Some days when the sun shines and you have a summit all to yourself it is impossible to encompass that feeling in words, but that is why I do this.....I never really felt this way until I lived in London, then suddenly such peace and tranquillity became the most highly prized thing I could think of.

I may have left London long ago but the value of that space has never diminished

[Kevin29035]

- being the only one at a work in February with a full blown suntan!!

Lmao I know this exactly. I'm always asked whether I've been away on holiday.

"No this was Scotland, last week."

Maybe I could weave a tale next time.

[kinley]

Interesting post!

Definitely not the summit for me. The wildlife - flora and fauna that we see is what gives a stream of small delights. I'd be just as tempted to crawl around watching dragonflies as climbing a hill.

Other hill things? Alpenglow


And - for a real electric feeling of joy - the sun breaking the horizon from on high.


Something primal there - sunsets are beautiful but a bit scary. Sunrise = we survived the night and didn't get eaten by leopards!

[Dundreich]

I agree with kinley ( ) about sunrises. I've always been an early riser and there's nothing better than getting up at 2am in june and heading off to a favourite hill, reaching the top just as the sun rises. Something life-affirming about it...

[Tradoch]

The views. I love the Japanese like layers of grey silouetted mountains disappearing off into the distance.

I also love inversions. Still remember a day, twenty odd years ago, on Suilven. Surrounded by a sea of clouds with the other hills like islands in the sun. Absolutely magical.