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Lockdown Adventures #2

Early starts & a morning rountine in South Wales

By Mountain-Forecast.com

June 10^th, 2020

I'm Nick. One of the co-founders of this website and am in my 13th week of lockdown in my home, just north of Cardiff, Wales' capital city.

History attests to my belief that when we operate under constraints, great opportunities for creativity, connection and discovery are unlocked. You just need to find the key (and not lose it!).

Tiny Habits

It's been interesting to observe how mine, and the lives of others nearby, have fallen into a routine each day: family walks, trips to the local shop, socially distanced chats over the hedge, greeting the postman...

Of course routines can be good and bad, but with the busyness of "normal" life (such as commutes, meetings, kids' piano lessons, football, gym) stripped away we have more time to do things that really matter.

Routines are based on habits. I've had a few Zoom conversations with a good friend Mike Coulter who knows a thing or two about these things. The key to making big changes and adopting good routines in our lives are through forming small, incremental habits.

Something that's easy to do and can slip into exisitng routines. Things like going to bed earlier, less screentime, drinking less alcohol, pausing more often...

The Englishman who went up a hill...

[and came down a mountain]. The not so well known film starring Hugh Grant was made about this place. It's called Garth Mountain which is a bit grand for something 307m (1,007.2ft) above sea level. It's a fascinating place steeped in history from the Bronze Age right up to the present day. The crag in the centre of the picture below is where I find my spot for setting up a little private camp for breakfast. I imagine how the Taff Valley would have looked in the Ice Age where the chilled air from ice-charged glacial outwash rivers poured into what's now the Bristol Channel.

Protect your mornings

For sure I don't make a date with sunrise every day. But I make sure I'm up early and do something that sets a good foundation for the day ahead. Cycling up the local hill requires more logistics (though never regretted). Most days I walk across nearby fields with my trusty Moorswood Roll and spend 10 minutes meditating or doing Wim Hof breath rounds. The difference in clarity, energy and productivity this brings to the day is amazing.

Continuting sunrise in Georgetown

A fast, flowing 10-minute descent down the hill sees me in the woods of Georgetown behind the still sleeping village of Gwaelod y Garth. The sun is still low, so there's a unique light as it shines obliqule below the branches to warm the forest floor, unlocking the scent of the pine needles.

It's just past 6am so still time to explore some trails into the woods. I imagine how different it would have been when miners trudged to their dark underground shifts to scratch out their livings, and satisfy the industrial revolution's hunger for energy. A chill interrupts my reflections: the sun has risen higher and shadows occupy the forest for the rest of the day. I turn around and head for home.