Navigation – thoughts from the hills

Around twenty years ago I went camping in Scotland, planning to pitch my tent at the top of Stob Coire Easain. At 1115 metres high it’s taller than Snowdon, so you’d think it would be easy to spot; but I climbed the wrong mountain. Reaching the summit of what should have been the highest peak around, I looked up at the mountain next door and realised I was in the wrong place. Checking the map, I realised I was on Creagan a’ Chaise. At 723 metres it was still a mountain, but not as high as I wanted to be; so I went down a bit and then carried on to get to the right peak.

When I first realised I was in the wrong place I felt a bit stupid. It would have been easy to make do and stay where I was, but I would have been looking up at the mountain I’d wanted to climb, imagining what the views were like and if I’d ever get the chance to wild camp at over 3,500 feet. I could have just given up, gone back down to Corrour station (as seen in the film “Trainspotting”) and got the next train south. Instead, I worked out where I was and how to get to where I wanted to be, feeling that the extra effort would be worth it in the long run. It was: no rain, no people and no midges. Stunning views all around. Bragging rights. On the way down in the morning I was able to pause and watch a herd of red deer in their natural habitat, surrounded by nothing but space.

We can all find ourselves feeling like we’re in the wrong place at the wrong time. It might feel like we should just give up or stay where we are, that we should write off our aspirations and “make do”. That’s not always the right decision, but neither is rushing head-long into something that requires a bit of planning. We can’t be held back by things that have happened in the past, but we can use those experiences to help us find the right path, to take stock of where we are now and where we want to be. Sometimes we can do this on our own, but sometimes we need a bit of help.

If you’re looking for that “bit of help”, then why not get in touch?

Geoff (HeadsUp Employer Engagement Manager)