Thin Places
First published in St George & St Cyr's Parish Magazine August 2008As some of you may know, I’m into hill walking (much like many others I’ve met since I came to St George’s). So, before I ramble on further, I must say that it’s been a pleasure to have been joined by, and invited on, walks with others to local pubs, to the Brecon Beacons and even a three peaks challenge. Thank you all! I’m sure more opportunities will come along soon so watch this space.
I have increasingly wondered why I enjoy exploring the hills, especially the more remote, less well-trodden areas. There are a number of obvious reasons, which include; ‘because it’s there,’ fellowship, solitude, to see wildlife, geology, the experience, the challenge, exercise and to tick the summits on lists. I have to admit that all these are reasons I have used to go out there and I think they always will be motivators for me. Another reason has become more apparent recently, and with hindsight, had always been something that pulled me towards the wilderness areas of the British Isles.
What was even more startling to me was how this reason presented itself to me. Back in March, I had gone to Glen Shiel in Scotland to go walking with a club based in Dundee. It had been booked months ahead – but when I got there, the cloud was down and it rained pretty much the whole weekend. Nonetheless, we went out on the first day and got soaked. We found a remote bothy to eat our lunch in and didn’t attempt any hills due to gale force winds. Not a completely wasted day, we saw deer surging across glen and over swollen river and we also enjoyed jumping over many burns. In the evening, there was a ceilidh in the local bar.
Anyway… the second day, three of us decided to try a munro (a hill over 3000feet) a bit further south. The cloud was still down, but the weather was more showery – which higher up became more snowy – and blizzard like. About halfway up, the other two turned back as they need to get back home fairly early, whereas I wasn’t travelling back until the next day. So I carried on. Well, soon the snow was falling heavily, the cloud was down and I was following another group’s footprints in the snow, which occasionally disappeared where fresh snow had blown into them. I got to a point where the ground became much rockier and steeper and the way forward wasn’t obvious. Now to keep morale going I’d been humming the odd tune and even reciting the Lord’s Prayer. But now I had to decide whether to carry on, knowing it would be dark in a few hours – but also that I didn’t know when I may get a chance to return to this hill or even Scotland. So as well as thinking through all the options, I prayed. As I stood there, the snow stopped falling, a gap appeared in the cloud and I was hit by sunlight – which looked like a bright orb of light in the sky. I had been asking for strength to make the right choice, I knew at once I should turn around – and I did so without any doubts or regrets.
I’m sure this was just a bit of coincidental weather, but the whole experience got me thinking. Soon after I got back, I heard of ‘Thin Places’ for the first time, and when I looked them up, some aspects of my life became much clearer. A ‘Thin Place’ is sometimes described as somewhere we are closer to God and Heaven. This can be anywhere, a church, a garden, a tree, by the sea or on a mountain – which brings me full circle. I think it’s another reason I go out hill walking, and I didn’t even know it before. I’m sure I was in a ‘Thin Place’ on that mountain in Scotland, and maybe I have a name for it now. But really, when I go out for a walk it’s just another way to bring me closer to God, and that’s another reason I keep going out there.
For more pictures, go to: http://flickr.com/photos/distantmountain/sets/ Kintail trip.
I have increasingly wondered why I enjoy exploring the hills, especially the more remote, less well-trodden areas. There are a number of obvious reasons, which include; ‘because it’s there,’ fellowship, solitude, to see wildlife, geology, the experience, the challenge, exercise and to tick the summits on lists. I have to admit that all these are reasons I have used to go out there and I think they always will be motivators for me. Another reason has become more apparent recently, and with hindsight, had always been something that pulled me towards the wilderness areas of the British Isles.
What was even more startling to me was how this reason presented itself to me. Back in March, I had gone to Glen Shiel in Scotland to go walking with a club based in Dundee. It had been booked months ahead – but when I got there, the cloud was down and it rained pretty much the whole weekend. Nonetheless, we went out on the first day and got soaked. We found a remote bothy to eat our lunch in and didn’t attempt any hills due to gale force winds. Not a completely wasted day, we saw deer surging across glen and over swollen river and we also enjoyed jumping over many burns. In the evening, there was a ceilidh in the local bar.
Anyway… the second day, three of us decided to try a munro (a hill over 3000feet) a bit further south. The cloud was still down, but the weather was more showery – which higher up became more snowy – and blizzard like. About halfway up, the other two turned back as they need to get back home fairly early, whereas I wasn’t travelling back until the next day. So I carried on. Well, soon the snow was falling heavily, the cloud was down and I was following another group’s footprints in the snow, which occasionally disappeared where fresh snow had blown into them. I got to a point where the ground became much rockier and steeper and the way forward wasn’t obvious. Now to keep morale going I’d been humming the odd tune and even reciting the Lord’s Prayer. But now I had to decide whether to carry on, knowing it would be dark in a few hours – but also that I didn’t know when I may get a chance to return to this hill or even Scotland. So as well as thinking through all the options, I prayed. As I stood there, the snow stopped falling, a gap appeared in the cloud and I was hit by sunlight – which looked like a bright orb of light in the sky. I had been asking for strength to make the right choice, I knew at once I should turn around – and I did so without any doubts or regrets.
I’m sure this was just a bit of coincidental weather, but the whole experience got me thinking. Soon after I got back, I heard of ‘Thin Places’ for the first time, and when I looked them up, some aspects of my life became much clearer. A ‘Thin Place’ is sometimes described as somewhere we are closer to God and Heaven. This can be anywhere, a church, a garden, a tree, by the sea or on a mountain – which brings me full circle. I think it’s another reason I go out hill walking, and I didn’t even know it before. I’m sure I was in a ‘Thin Place’ on that mountain in Scotland, and maybe I have a name for it now. But really, when I go out for a walk it’s just another way to bring me closer to God, and that’s another reason I keep going out there.
For more pictures, go to: http://flickr.com/photos/distantmountain/sets/ Kintail trip.
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