Slow Mountain Time

Outdoor Wellbeing Retreats

The Scottish Highlands are home to world-famous landscapes. The diverse geology of Scotland creates rich variety in the character of our mountains. The rolling shapes of Cairngorm granite stand in stark contrast to the jagged peaks and narrow ridges of folded quartzite and schists in the west and the iconic old red sandstone of Torridon and the far North. People are drawn from far and wide to experience these rocks beneath their feet, ‘to climb the mountains and get their good tidings’. But what motivates us to explore these places? What are you aiming for when you lace up your boots and hit that trail? and what are outdoor wellbeing retreats?

Munro Bagging

Often when we head to the hills our ambitions are focussed on reaching the summits, the miles we will cover and the speed of our ascent. The common rhetoric around walking in the mountains has become tied up with our egos, a desire to test our physical mettle and dominate the landscape. In Scotland hill walking has become synonymous with ‘Munro bagging’. A Munro being any mountain standing over 3000ft, the list includes 282 summits and was compiled by Sir Hugh Munro back in the late 1800’s. Today it stands as a great achievement to ‘bag’ them all, to claim victory and never to have to return once a summit has been conquered. This approach is a great motivator for many but it often doesn’t allow for the gift of time, to just ‘be’ in the mountains. Many of us are also prone to giving ourselves a hard time if we don’t push ourselves physically as much as we think we should. Letting go of this can open up a whole new way of spending time in the wild.

Don’t get me wrong, I love days in the hills where you push your physical limits. Travelling as fast and as far as your legs will allow and every Munro summit brings a celebratory smile. Back home there is deep satisfaction in the day’s achievements, the memories a lasting reminder of what you are capable of. But if this summit bagging approach is the only way you ever experience these landscapes then there is much being missed. Nature can give us so more than tired legs and a temporarily satisfied ego.

Nature and Happiness

In recent years research has put nature in the spotlight as being vital for our mental wellbeing. A 2021 study by the Mental Health Foundation reported that 70% of UK adults believe time spent in nature improves their mood. It has also been shown to reduce levels of stress and anxiety, improve resilience and boost self-confidence. However, it isn’t just the quantity of nature that is important, the quality of our engagement matters greatly. A key factor to unlocking the greatest benefits is how connected we are to nature, it’s not just about the hours we spend but how we spend them. If our time in the hills is always spent rushing for the summit then the opportunity for a deeper connection is lost. To access this, we need to slow down, experience with all our senses and take time to listen to the stories of landscapes.

Slow Mountain Journeys

Spending a prolonged time outdoors can be a great way to achieve this. Wild camping journeys provide an opportunity to really immerse yourself in nature and truly get away from it all. I consider myself privileged to guide such journeys. In particular, the Outdoor Wellbeing Retreats that I offer in partnership with my good friend and colleague Shona Macperson. In a recent conversation we explored what we mean by using these terms and the alternative approach these offer to spending time in the hills.

Snapshots of outdoor wellbeing retreats in Scotland

Shona is a Life Coach and Counsellor who recognises time outdoors in nature as being key to her practice.

 ‘I think that by physically taking ourselves away in to a non-man-made environment we experience life differently, our perspective can change. We get less pushed around by thoughts and let feelings come and go a bit more rather than allowing them to push us around. When we spend more time outside, we can calm down our nervous system. Being in presence of beauty and having the time and space to really notice can lead to feelings of awe and wonder which have amazing impacts on our wellbeing. It enables us to forget ourselves in a really healthy way and leave day to day worries behind.’

In Shona’s words the retreats we run allow people to ‘get away from everyday life. They enable you to give yourself the gift of time in beautiful spaces, the chance of unplugging from technology and letting go of physical stuff and responsibilities. Time to be with yourself and be with nature in all its fullness.’

Learning from Landscapes

For my part I feel passionately that key to fostering this beneficial deeper connection with nature is understanding. Learning more about the landscapes we move through and making time to listen to their stories. I have curated a wide range of ways in which we do this throughout the journeys; moments dedicated to hearing the voices of the science that has shaped the land as well as the living beings that have walked here before us. The combination of all of this is an experience which allows you to occupy a different physical and mental space. Leaving you feeling rested and restored and ready to return to the challenged of everyday life with renewed energy. You can hear more about the journeys we guide and how we create space for wellbeing in the full conversation here.

I’ll leave you with some wisdom from one of my favourite poets and authors, John Odonohue. He writes far more eloquently than I ever could on the relationships between people, landscape and nature.

‘I think it [landscape] makes a huge difference. When you wake up in the morning and come out of your house [or tent…]. Whether you believe you’re walking into dead geographical location which is used to get to a destination. Or, whether you’re emerging out into a landscape that is just as much if not more alive than you, but in a totally different form.

And if you go towards it with an open heart and a real watchful reverence, you will be absolutely amazed at what it will reveal to you.’

John Odonohue in conversation with Krista Tippett, On Being Podcast

So next time you are planning an adventure, leave behind the challenge of how fast and far and allow yourself the gift of slow time. Sit for that moment longer, ask questions and really take it all in.

Outdoor Wellbeing Retreats in Scotland

If you would like to join me and Shona for a guided slow mountain journey this summer then we have two different offerings. All the camp equipment and food is provided for you.