Tuesday 12 July 2011

My Second Mountain (Video)


I mentioned Grange Fell in The Illusion of Loneliness blog back in May – and this video was taken from one of its three summits… the highest, called Brund Fell, which rises over the Borrowdale Valley, with views north towards Derwentwater, Keswick and Bassenthwaite in the English Lake District.

I climbed this mountain by accident…

Last Autumn, I was living and working at a hotel in Rossthwaite, a small village in Borrowdale, and since there was no Vodafone signal in the valley, my fancy iPhone had become little more than an alarm clock and MP3 player.

I heard tell that there was a great signal up in the hills – though I used to walk up about 800-900ft each day or two, to my meditation point (from where I took the background photograph that’s on both this blog and my Twitter page), and I didn’t get any bars on the phone there…

… so, one day, I decided to head up to the highest part of the hill I could find, and ended up at this spectacular position.

I didn’t realise it had a name, at the time, or that it was so high. At 1363ft, I was almost 90ft closer to space than when I climbed The Steeple, in Lochgoilhead.

And when I got up to the top, my phone started chiming like a bell falling down an escalator, with all the messages and alerts finally able to get through. I even made a few phone calls from up there, not that the people I phoned likely heard more than the sound of the gusting wind.

Here are a few photos, too, which you can click on to see them full size:


13 comments:

  1. It's amusing that you'll have to go to such a secluded area to connect with the rest of the world!

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  2. The fact that you climbed the mountain by accident struck me. Though it was nice to have your phone working, I think you saw and discovered so much more as evidenced from your pictures.

    Reminds me of the old saying "It's not the destination, but the journey that counts," even for short journeys in life like this.

    eden

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  3. I should have put accident in quotes, I guess. I don't believe in coincidence, and it was up at that spot I realised I'd never be lonely again. :-)

    Perhaps, if I hadn't walked up the hill that day, I'd have come to the same conclusion in my room - but at least the scenery was better up there. ;-)

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  4. that was very cool..thanks for sharing..your photos are marvelous ..never been to that place ..looks lovely..thanks dear.. now back to pajama party..excuse my being naked lolol LNovak

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  5. Gorgeous location, Sonia. Thanks! :-)

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  6. Those are some beautiful views!

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  7. Is such a wonderful place... can point the camera anywhere and get a great shot. :-)

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  8. I can hear that wind gusting from here!

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  9. It was a bit chilly up there, Gladys! :-)

    Hope you're well! x

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  10. One more piece of home viewed. Desolate, cold, wild. Beautiful. Thank you.

    Gayle Crystalbutterfl

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