Outdoor opinion
Mary-Ann has a new hill buddy
“I’m going to finish the challenge with Cole out in the world...”
Five weeks ago I had a baby. As you either might imagine or know from first-hand experience, they don’t call it labour for nothing. It certainly puts the idea of a ‘tough’ hill day into new perspective. But frankly those bestial, elemental hours have been nothing compared to the weeks that have followed...
Over the years I’ve taken part in various expeditions that demanded threehour on/off shifts, physical exertion, emotional challenges and pushing on even when you’d quite like to stop. Those expeditions don’t hold a candle to the rollercoaster of life with a newborn.
Then, last Thursday, baby Cole slept from 1am to 4am. Our tiny angel blessed us with three golden, uninterrupted hours of delicious pillow time. And I woke up feeling like a new woman. Like a woman who can remember her own postcode, safely drive a car and who feels like leaving the house is potentially a joy rather than an ordeal.
Since then we’ve had a few more three-hour sleeps and I find my mind wandering to plans for trips. All summer I’ve seen sun-tanned fells, epic sunsets and enjoyed wild camps to remember forever – but from my phone’s screen, rather than in person. I’ve got a lovely, cuddly reason for having missed out, but if I’m totally honest, I felt a teeny bit jealous of all your adventures. So I’m really hoping for a bit of an Indian summer so Cole and I can enjoy his first hills in the next few months.
I’m making simple plans for now, but I can’t help my mind wandering beyond the first walks, to daydreams of a lifetime sharing the wild with my new hill buddy. A first summit, a first wild camp, epic sunsets and those sun-tanned fells...
During my pregnancy I made it to 6845m of ascent for #EverestAnywhere. I’m on the final push to the summit of Aconcagua, as it were. I’m going to finish the challenge with Cole out in the world. First up, a weekend in the Peaks, with plenty of cafés and pubs and picnics built into the route card. Then maybe a couple of days in the Dales, or around the rolling eastern fells on the ‘wrong’ side of the A592 in the Lake District.
I’ve been trying out various baby slings borrowed from friends and I’m slowly increasing the distance I can comfortably walk (so far still pretty modest – my back aches after about 4km). But with five kilos of baby strapped to my front, and a day bag on my back, the exertion has to be good for my bone density and heart health if nothing else. In the next couple of weeks I’ll build in some core strengthening and then we’ll be ready.
I don’t need a gym, a lycra-clad DVD or a class where I lift cans of beans while squatting next to my pram. I choose fresh air, winding trails and new adventures. I’ve got a brilliant, brand new reason to get outside and walk. We’ll see you out there.