Today I am very excited, because tomorrow 3 friends and myself depart on a voyage up the M6 as part of a 9 year (so far) ritual… one of the lad’s calls it “Second Christmas” I call it M’Mon’s on tour! Every year in the autumn after the chaos of summer has fizzled out we visit The Lake District for a long weekend of fresh air (mostly), long walks, beers, laughs and BIG DINNERS!
9 years ago I was burnt out, I had been working 7 days a week to try and pay back a huge debt which had been accumulated from my first wedding, I needed a break and the only way I was ever going to get the rest I needed was to get away! There was too much to do at home, I’d end up working, so a trip away was the only answer. I was happy to go alone, but I put it out to my mates to see if anyone was interested and thankfully they were…
That year was wetter than a cucumber in cling film, the cloud was so low you could touch it and all we could do was take shelter in the pub… It was incredible and I came back a new man! The tradition was born.
The format is simple, Hike Lakeland Fells, Eat Good Food, Drink Beers and Laugh – A LOT. It’s the perfect medicine to all that ales you. You see what I did there? We travel light, a bag of clothes, our rucksack and a sleeping bag. Our base Camp for the expedition is always Ullswater Cabin at Neaum Crag. https://ullswater80neaumcrag.co.uk/.
Some years we have spent a night in a YHA so we can make a good start on a walk, or we have been known to spend a night in Morecambe for an evening out… I tell you, the things you see when you don’t have your gun!
For me though it’s more than what we do, where we go or how many Wainwrights we bag. It’s what it does for the mind. The first year I didn’t just need a break from work, I needed a break from life, I didn’t know it but my head was ready to blow and I didn’t have the tools I have now in order to cope. That weekend came exactly at the right time, it reset everything for me, helped me re-charge the batteries and go again!
At the risk of repeating myself, us dudes aren’t the best at opening up about how we’re feeling and what’s bothering us, but stick 4-5 blokes on a Lakeland Fell with no phone signal the chat just flows, chuck a pint or two of conversation juice into the mix and you’re really solving life’s problems!
That’s why this tradition matters, it’s not just about walking and beers, it’s about friendship, fresh air and a reminder that looking after your mental health can be as straight forward as hike and a laugh with your mates!
One unexpected blessing of our trip is the poor phone signal up there, no calls, no messages and best of all no emails! It’s amazing how much headspace it gives you, without that constant noise of the modern world, you can actually switch off. Because of this you notice more, the daft conversations flow and you feel so much more present. Funny thing is, 20 years ago before mobile phones, that was everyone’s weekend…. Every weekend. These days though, it feels harder to truly disconnect like that, and our brains desperately need it.
I really hope you’re not, but if you are feeling the weight of it all, hit pause, get a weekend in the diary, grab a mate or two and disconnect from the noise of this modern world!
I guess what I’m trying to say is… Stop Scrolling and Start Strolling!!
Happy wandering
TM
If you have enjoyed this blog, you may also enjoy the following posts. If you think others would too, please consider sharing it with friends and family.
Freedom, one step at a time – Living With a Wanderer’s Mind
A Week in The Lake District: Hard Graft, Good Ale and Headspace
Why I Live by Lists – and My Top 5 Lake District Pubs to Prove It
