After a lay-off of I don’t know how long, my friend Andy and I managed to get out for a proper climb in the open air today. I’m sure that we both experienced a tremendous sense of relief and refreshment. (We do actually climb, and don’t just talk about it!) Our destination was a crag just outside of Sheffield, on the edge of the Peak District National Park, named Burbage North. There was almost a festive atmosphere about the occasion, as rock-climbers were competing for the car-park with runners, boulderers, cyclists and walkers. (There was also a para-glider over Stanage Edge.) I should have checked to see if the coffee wagon was out as well.
There was a keen wind, which made climbing a bit difficult on occasions, as our fingers really began to feel the chill, and it is a long time since I climbed in quite as many layers of clothing. Even so, it stayed fine. I found it amusing when I realised that I actually had to think about actions which I would have expected to take for granted, such as tying a knot. I have no doubt that we will both be experiencing another novel sensation tomorrow morning …. stiffness!
It is interesting, in circumstances such as these, to be reminded of those things which we take as defining ourselves in some important sense. Who was it who sang, “You don’t know what you’ve lost ’till it’s gone”? The joy you experience when it comes back, whatever it is, certainly makes us realise just what it is, and its value.