“The rucksacks are propped by the door, ready to go, full of trusted equipment that withstood the winds of the SouthWest Coast Path and the arctic blasts of the southern uplands of Iceland, so will hopefully see us through Scotland in May.”
Raynor Winn, a British author, writes this in her third long-distance hiking memoir. When I am in the last frenzy of collecting the necessary items for my upcoming one-week backpacking trip, I reach for her books. I need the encouragement when training feels strenuous and I’m not sure I should still do this at my age. I lack the confidence I had in my sixties for longdistance treks on the PCT or in the Himalayas. In the group of friends that has enticed me to buy a new ultra-light pack and go out to the desert of New Mexico on the Continental Divide trail, I’m the weaker link.
Raynor Winn’s books let me feel kinship. I recognize the draw of pouring over the maps. I sympathize with her as she doubts that this time, maybe this time they won’t make it. Raynor and her husband Moth hike to stave off a progressing neurological disease Moth has. They’ve found that walking makes him better, up to a point. Walking gives him hope, walking lets him live longer without being bedridden, not waiting for his last days. At my age, I have a similar feeling. How much longer do I have? Challenging my body to be in top-shape, challenging my resilience once more, challenging the tendency of slowing down, wanting to do less. Research shows that the end of our DNA strings shorten as we age. Hiking and walking reverses that process, giving us more energy, letting us live a more vital life.
My backpack is propped by the door, ready to go, full of my trusted equipment that has served me through other desert hikes. 7 Days and lack of water along the route makes the pack too heavy at the start. Each day, my load will be lighter. Each day, my legs will carry me. Each day, I will dig deep and find my resilience.
If you want to know what hiking a long-distance trail is like, read Raynor Winn’s books. Start with the first one: “The Salt Path”. You will turn pages and won’t want to stop reading. The Salt Path inspired me to hike the SouthWest Coast trail last year in Cornwall. The third one, “Landlines”, will be my companion at night in my tent this week. I draw strength from these stories. I don’t feel alone in my attempts to break through into the unknowns of places and body.
If you’re interested in reversing your aging process, read my book “Walking Gone Wild, how to lose your age on the trail”
Yes! I too am *so* enamored with Raynor's books. I read her first last year while on a pilgrimage through England and France (not hiking, by train), and am currently just about finishing her second book and looking forward to beginning the third. I broke my shoulder in January and reading about her and Moss' struggles and resilience really gives me inspiration to keep moving forward. I am eagerly looking forward to seeing the film based on her first book (and starring Gillian Anderson as Raynor!) that's due for release very soon.
Wishing you all the strength you need for this adventure. Thank you for your inspiring posts. 🙏