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The joys of a low level walk

The joys of a low level walk


Postby ActiveLouise » Thu Apr 14, 2022 3:49 pm

Route description: Moray Coastal Trail

Date walked: 22/03/2022

Time taken: 1 day

Distance: 29 km

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Low level or hills? Shall we walk a low-level route or a hilly one? The question is flung back over several Whatsapp messages. Meanwhile, weather forecasts are consulted, maps are studied and gear is assembled. Finally, this drawn-out deliberation delivers forth a conclusion. Low level it is.

With the weather forecast promising clear skies, little wind and only a dusting of late spring snow, this decision is perhaps not the most obvious one. There is also an array of hilly routes to choose from, and our physical fitness is adequate enough to tackle them, so neither of these factors plays a role in deciding the nature of the day’s adventure. Instead, it comes down to a simpler fact: we want something new.

Hills are, of course, the rock stars of the walking world. Displayed in glossy magazines and idyllic social media posts, the number of people who now attempt to climb high altitude peaks is higher than ever before. However, once that adrenaline-rich high has been achieved, and the congratulations of others roll in, it can be difficult to let go of this in favour of trying something new. Even if in doing so, one looks set to miss out on a different level of adventure altogether.

Feeling determined not to miss out on low-level walking myself, today’s goal is an ambitious eighteen miles of the Moray Coastal Path. Starting in the quiet town of Findhorn, the route gradually winds along to finish in Lossiemouth. On the way, we, my brother and I, stroll through idyllic coastal spots. We pass conversations and dig into energy-filled snacks. But more on that later. Now we’re only just setting out.

The day establishes itself with luscious blue skies that would look more at home on the coast of Spain than on the east coast of Scotland in March. As we take the first steps of the day along the Moray Coastal Path, the route immediately dips down onto sandy shores and this picture-perfect image is established further still. Glossy sand stretches endlessly ahead whilst a quick look behind reveals a row of colourful beach huts. They sit facing the sea as if waiting for their tenants to return. The impending spring and summer seasons, with their crowds and noise, is an abstract thought on this Tuesday afternoon, however, as we meander along a near-empty beach.

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The peaceful nature of this walk, and our freedom to explore a new area within our own country, are not things we are here to take for granted. Endless pillars of concrete line the shoreline – a relic from World War Two when this was used as a means of hampering enemy progress should they successfully land on the UK’s shores. Meanwhile, our conversations soon drift to the latest news headlines. Russia has just invaded Ukraine and we discuss with a sickening disbelief how liberty, freedom, normality and peace can be altered so quickly. The world is just coming to terms with the events across Europe and our conversations reflect this too.

From hard, sandy ground, the path soon leaves behind the concrete reminders of war and begins to wind through calming woodland instead. The trees in this area were planted back in the 1930s and have become a haven for wildlife and walkers alike. I look to my left and can see water lapping reliably through a window of trees. In this moment, these two contrasting images of the natural world become one.

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The first stop of the day is in the seaside town of Birghead. We dig out unmemorable sandwiches from our rucksacks and eat them quietly whilst enjoying the seaside view. Later, after we’ve walked a little further along the coast, we came to the town of Hopeman. Here a gift shop, just setting up for the season, promises ice-creams and another seat. This proves to be the perfect sugary snack to help us on our way. You don’t get this up a hill, we comment, whilst devouring them in record time.

Further along the coast, the scenery gradually begins to change. Dramatic sandy cliffs and winding uneven trails soon replace the uniformed forests and flat paths that we strode out into earlier in the day. It strikes me how impressive it is that one walk can offer so much variety.

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Meandering along the tall cliff tops, I am soon lost in the dazzling blue sea to my left. The water here glitters under the lukewarm spring sunshine. ‘This is so nice’, I proclaim at regular intervals, as an endorphin-fuelled high reduces my thoughts to the most basic of statements.

Late in the afternoon, as the sun begins its gradual descent, Covesea Lighthouse comes into view. We stroll onto the beach once again and ponder the history of this tall structure. It was built in 1846 as a response to a storm in 1826 that destroyed 16 local fishing boats. The flow of our thoughts and words is interrupted, however, when an RAF jet suddenly roars into the sky above our heads. The noise is so loud and so piercing that I cannot help but put my hands over my ears for protection. I wonder where it is going, I comment as the plane vanishes out of sight.

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These jets mark the end of the day’s walking. Very soon we are stumbling into the town of Lossiemouth having covered a massive eighteen miles. The fatigue has begun to settle in at this point, but the sense of achievement significantly outweighs any degree of weariness. It’s not long before we are congratulating ourselves with a pint of coke and a bar meal in one of Lossiemouth’s many beachfront establishments. It brings a satisfying end to a highly satisfying day.

We, my brother and I, set off on a low-level walk in search of something ‘new’. In doing so, I realised how important it is to shine a metaphorical head torch on this kind of walk. Hills may be a ‘rock star’ of sorts, but low-level walks should not be consigned to the supporting act. They deserve the limelight too. So, with this in mind, we set off for the day with a goal that could not be measured in elevation gain, but with a tally of hard-won milage instead.

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ActiveLouise
Walker
 
Posts: 12
Munros:26   Corbetts:1
Joined: Aug 4, 2021

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