Stranger in the North Pennines

"For every thing that is given, something is taken. Society acquires new arts, and loses old instincts. What a contrast between the well-clad, reading, writing, thinking American, with a watch, a pencil, and a bill of exchange in his pocket, and the naked New Zealander, whose property is a club, a spear, a mat, and an undivided twentieth of a shed to sleep under!" - Ralph Waldo Emerson, On Self-Reliance 1841. 

On high ground in the hills near High Force Waterfalls

The trip that I took with some of my course mates to High Force Waterfalls in the North Pennines was a much needed reminder that it is so easy to lose it and yet think you still have it! 

An Eye Opener:

I mean, I walked everywhere as a boy; my primary school was a daily 10 kilometre barefooted hike in the 36 degrees sweltering heat of the Zambezi Valley. When I moved to the big city, nothing changed much as I ran the Zimbabwe National Army Commander's 21 Kilometre Road Race, the Terry Fox Cancer Run, played football for a premier league side, and also did roadwork of up to 30 kilometres every week. And, what about all those hours I spent in the gym at One Commando Barracks in Harare? These are the reasons why my subconscious kept telling me that I a man of steel, but the reality for me now is more along this observation made below by a great thinker of the last 2 centuries:

"The civilized man has built a coach, but has lost the use of his feet. He is supported on crutches, but lacks so much support of muscle. He has a fine Geneva watch, but he fails of the skill to tell the hour by the sun. A Greenwich nautical almanac he has, and so being sure of the information when he wants it, the man in the street does not know a star in the sky. The solstice he does not observe; the equinox he knows as little; and the whole bright calendar of the year is without a dial in his mind. His note-books impair his memory; his libraries overload his wit; the insurance-office increases the number of accidents; and it may be a question whether machinery does not encumber; whether we have not lost by refinement some energy, by a Christianity entrenched in establishments and forms, some vigor of wild virtue" - Ralph Waldo Emerson, On Self-Reliance, 1841.

I am invincible (I think!)

How I Found Out:

Let me assure you now that the part of the North Pennines I went to does not compare at all to the thickets and wildernesses I used to negotiate without a care in Zimbabwe. That's why I was so surprised by the number of times I fell on the rocks at the waterfall here. I, who used to scale the Mavhuradonha Mountain at a steady three quarter pace! It is for this reason precisely why I was shocked when I couldn't keep up with the others during our impromptu race up the highest hill near High Force.

Cold, wet, miserable and caring not whether I lived or died, we returned to the car. That's when my problems started... snow burn!

Imagine another thing; me getting bothered by the rain! I used to wait for it to start raining then I would take off my shirt and go to round up my goats and cattle from their grazing area! .... But all is not lost, this trip was a timely reminder that I have allowed city life to make me soft, if I am to enjoy my return to theatre I must start training again... and soon!

Photo Essay:

Driving to High Force

Arrival at High Force

Main attraction

A scene that looked like a picture, if you know what I mean.

I was going to ignore the signs because I am "tough," but I will tell you right now that I was lucky not to be injured seriously here

With my course mates on the Defence, Development & Diplomacy program at Durham University

My first sight of the main attraction in this part of the North Pennines

High Force Waterfalls

Jagged edges

The closest I got to the water

The sight that made the trip worth it

Signage at the waterfall

Birds of the same plumage parambulate in proximity (i.e none of us had any qualms about taking short cuts.)

Although I will admit this was not my brightest idea. These rocks are dangerous; when you visit observe the warning signs. Please.

The gate to this area is now locked for a reason. Please do not tempt fate as I did!

Trailblazing?

The way back to the car?

Not too far downstream from High Force

It wasn't all bad

Crossing the bridge to go towards the reservoir way up river

Signage at this National Nature Reserve

Make no mistake, I was happy to be with nature. I only became sad when I spent the whole weekend recovering, that's when it hit home that I had become weak.

High Force

"And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything" - William Shakespeare

The River Tees at High Force

The snow line high behind me is our final destination

The River Tees

There is something about the outdoors!

I will say it again: "And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything" - William Shakespeare 

Wide open spaces

Good old fashioned map reading skills

There really is something about the outdoors!

Something pure!

Crossing a river as we march towards the snow line

The highest peak in the distance was the target for our race

How we crossed some of the streams here

On slightly high ground

On even higher ground

It is no coincidence that I was this far behind, always

At long last I caught up with the others... on their way back!

I was a spent force

Celebrating mediocrity!

Losers motto: "Winning isn't everything"

Celebrating making the snow line!

In the snow!

If I celebrated coming last like this, imagine if I had won!

I would have stayed on this hill for days celebrating if I had won

Making the descent back to civilisation

Crossing a stream on the way back

Cold, wet, miserable and caring not whether I lived or died, we returned to the car. That's when my problems started... snow burn!

The 3 Musketeers at the end of trip to the North Pennines