Personal highs
Eight adventurous souls recall their highest highs from the past few years and reveal what keeps them motivated when the going gets tough – both out there in the mountains and in the mind
A GOOD DAY out of doors can help us feel capable, confident and in control, as well as connected to our bodies, our mind and Mother Nature. And whilst mountains can’t cure all ills, it is sometimes the case that facing our fears up high can distract us from stresses we face down at sea level – a welcome reprieve at least for a little while. But when the clocks go back, bluebird days become a distant memory and the great outdoors becomes less great and more grey, the quick fix of health and happiness that the hills provide can easily seem a million miles away.
For me personally, setting personal goals is a good way to combat the winter blues, put down the TV remote and get myself out of the door – those first steps being the hardest and the most important. But breaking through the comfort zone is about so much more than goals, numbers or a checklist, as the following tales of personal challenge prove. From extraordinary international expeditions to learning the landscapes of home, I asked eight adventurous souls to share their own very personal goals and motivations to keep moving through winter. Some of these stories were told to me, whilst others speak in their own voice. However they speak, I hope they speak to you.
THE PERSONAL SUMMIT
Digital storyteller and Mountain Leader Abbie Barnes climbed Mont Blanc in the summer of 2023 – but it was a journey about more than reaching the peak of alpinism. Here, they explain why personal summits are sometimes more important than the highest highs.
“The wind roared, and it was a battle to stay upright” as Abbie plodded through unseasonal snow in crampons along the Bosses Ridge. Evidence of an avalanche just days before lay below. Abbie confesses they felt alternately energised and hurried by the focus on speed and stats that climbing this famous mountain involves. They continued to 4554m “in a bubble of survival”, counting to 100 on repeat. Spitting distance from the summit, their guide turned to assess the gusts and noticed Abbie’s nose had developed frostnip. It was time to turn back; but in retrospect they refuse to see this as a failure. “This was as high as the mountain let us go safely – our personal summit.”
The months prior had been wrought by burnout, and Abbie was forced to pull one of five long-distance trails walked during their busy summer schedule. Tunnel vision and a panic attack had been triggered by undiagnosed severe anaemia, and Abbie wasn’t sure they would make it to Mont Blanc at all.
With their motivation and self-confidence at a low, Abbie fell back o
