I’m ringing in 2025 by doing a little personal lifestyle edit, considering what I want more of in the months to come. And it’s adventure on the very top of my list. Last year, some close friends persuaded me to join an amazing group of ladies on what has become a series of quite serious, quite tough outdoor adventure trips organised by the fantastic Kate and my friends.
I wasn’t too hard to convince as I do love a challenge and, being honest, am probably quite competitive by nature. Plus, there is nothing that brings me as much joy as spending time outdoors.
Had I understood what the first and subsequent trips entailed, each more difficult than the one before it, —first hiking, rock climbing, scrambling and abseiling on the remote island of Marrettimo, a UNESCO site near Sicily; then snow shoeing along the Dolomites in Cortina; followed by a hiking and canyoning trip in Lake Garda; and most recently and challengingly a hiking and climbing trip in the Langtang Valley and Yala Peak in Nepal—, how searingly difficult some moments would be, how downright dangerous, I might have thought twice. However, I’m so glad I dove in and took a chance on something new.
Beyond the luxury of enjoying the beauty and quiet of some of the most remote, most untouched parts of the planet, it was the challenging aspect of this adventure that I am seeking more of in my life.
Many of our hikes and treks through Langtang Valley to Kyanjin Gompa, and then to Yala Peak, were mind bogglingly difficult, often so physically demanding and at times downright frightening that I sometimes felt emotionally pushed to the edge.
The challenge of full day hikes and long, jagged, uphill descents in the cold was compounded by acclimatising to the altitude (which takes a true toll on the body once over 3500 metres).
We walked in the valley for many long days before we saw the snow-capped mountains we were to head up in the distance. I remember feeling quite downhearted after a long day of hiking ended at a Tea House that had run out of hot water and wifi.
The night we reached Base Camp, there was no greater luxury than sleeping in thermals, a woolly hat, socks, a sleeping bag, and more as ice lined the inside of the two man tent I shared with my friend Tina. Together we laughed, and cried.
And, on the day we climbed to Yala Peak at 5800 metres, we started with a 3 am wake up, put on our head torches and hiked and rock climbed for hours in the dark in order to make it to our destination on time.
Finally reaching the summit in the light, and taking in the breathtaking 360 degree views of the valley was simply one of the most exhilarating moments of my life.
Something shifted.
Being able to conquer fears and overcome those great physical and then emotional feats has been infinitely rewarding.
In the quietude of those remote locations, surrounded by a group of powerful women, all pushing themselves to the max, I had the space to really understand my feelings get out of my head and into my heart.
I returned to my home and work life with a whole new perspective and much restored confidence to face the many daily challenges that come with the roles of a parent, homemaker, partner and business person.
So here is to more adventure, and with it, more challenges. Maybe it doesn’t have to be climbing one of the tallest mountains in the world, but whatever the path, may it show new founts of courage and inner strength.
Many thanks to the fabulous organisers — and the wonderful Italian guides and Sherpas who lead us along the way and kept us safe.
Love, Alison x
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