Climbing out of Quarantine

It was March 15th 2020, I remember the day well. I’d just arrived at Kingston Park Stadium for a match, this was workday. Game-day is usually handshakes, fist bumps and well wishes to people you’ve not seen for a while. Today felt different and any unnecessary physical contact wasn’t supported.

We were at the start of a pandemic, but we didn’t fully know it yet.

The game finished and there were rumours of a small break in normality to help deal with this mysterious virus that had started to become problematic. The next day we got notified of cessation to training for two weeks in line with government guidelines.

We returned to training on January 3rd, 2021, 10 months later.

Being an athlete for over 18 years has given me many opportunities to express myself, be tested weekly, and has given me a purpose. With lockdown, quarantined and the COVID pandemic taking over, this part of my life had all but vanished.

Now don’t get me wrong, I keep busy in other ways and enjoy many activities like spending time with my daughter, practising yoga, reading, playing guitar and much more. But something was missing. A physical challenge. A test.

After months of training from home, I decided one Friday, that the coming weekend I was going to climb a mountain. I feel very fortunate living so close to beautiful destinations and after a quick search on the internet, I chose Mount Snowden, Wales. I didn’t have any climbing experience, much of a plan, or appropriate clothing, but I was fairly confident that with my conditioning base and some common sense that I would be OK.

The journey to Wales took around two hours with some breath-taking scenery to admire along the way. As I arrived, I was greeted by a local taxi driver who drove me to the start of the ascent. On our 5-minute taxi ride he gave me some advice on which path to take. I thought “why not?” and took the well-wishing taxi driver's word for it and began my walk up PYG.

The start was tough, very steep with lots of big steps. Many people were on the same path, so I felt as though I was heading in the right direction. It’s straight forward, just keep going up I thought. One thing I will say, is that after a few rolled ankles and “nearlies” I decided early that my running trainers wouldn’t be sufficient for any more climbs. Lesson learnt.

Physically I found the climb difficult, after 45 mins, sweat was dripping down my face and with no food prepared (smart I know), I took a quick water break.

I did have to ask a couple of times which way to go, that might sound strange when you think you should just head up, but I do like to be sure and being on my own I didn’t want to get stranded somewhere and had visions of being “that idiot”.

After around 1 hour 30 I reached the summit, what a feeling. It felt like I imagined, magical views, clear air, lots of people experiencing a happy time and a gorgeous sunny day to top it off. I did the usual of taking a few pictures and then found a quiet place to enjoy my well-earned coffee from my new flask.

On the way down I found an incredible spot to overlooking the water, so I stopped and meditated for 15 minutes, what an experience that was.

It’s funny who you bump into on a mountain in a different country, well this time it was an old friend who I worked with right at the start of my fitness career. Good to see you Josh!

Walking down was less about the physical demand and more about taking in the amazing views and interacting with hikers whenever we awkwardly crossed paths. With a little more planning I would have known to bring some shorts and a towel to head into the water, another lesson to take in.

On the drive back, my mind wasn’t focusing on problems from the past, or worrying about the future, it was reliving and appreciating what had just happened. I savoured so much from that day and I’m very grateful to have the physical capacity to experience climbing one of the British Three Peaks.

So, what do you do when you climb one of the three highest peaks in The United Kingdom, you plan the next one. With the rugby season all but cancelled I decided that the feeling I had when I got home was what I missed the most. It was the satisfaction of doing something new, physically testing myself, being completely present in the moment and feeling content.

The next peaks Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike followed, then the Yorkshire three peaks and Helvellyn finished off my climbing season for 2020. Looking back, it’s something I am very proud of and managed to share the experiences with some special people.

Since then, I have been fortunate enough to climb The Old Man of Coniston, Blen Cathra, Skiddaw, Ben Nevis and Snowdon again, along with some smaller mountains. I also decided that it would be a challenge to run the Yorkshire Peaks. More on that another time.

Now I’m retired from professional sport, I can look back at 2020 with immense gratitude. It provided me an opportunity to learn more about myself, establish healthy routines and work out how I want to live life. For now that is.

There is always something out there to re-ignite that feeling of living. For me, climbing mountains was just that. You must be brave, bold, curious, and get off your backside to experience life. Whilst doing things you enjoy, you will find people with common interests, expanding your community and building your resilience.

See you at the bottom somewhere, Bob.

This article has been adapted from an article originally posted on the BB Performance website...