Day eight, over the hill and far away

I think that if I'd chosen this list slightly differently, each of the twelve days would have been a walk; if I'd put all the walks together into one it would far and away have been the best experience of my year.  The most intense experiences of the year were undoubtedly on walks, either emerging from the mist of High Cup Nick, or finding God in a Wiltshire field, retracing my steps on the landscape of Shropshire around Church Stretton, bounding across the marsh under which lies the abandoned Roman camp and medieval village on the Scottish border.

I'm picking one walk not because it's far and away the best, but this one encapsulated everything that I love about the way I walk, and ultimately the way I live.

I must have seen it before I'd heard of it, but I first came across the name The Cloud when researching the highest peaks of England a few years back.  It also crops up as a National Trust site.  Then when I first visited Congleton properly earlier in the year I chatted to a few very informative people who suggested it would be a nice stroll.  Looking on the map I discovered something even better - it was ideal for a summer evening mooch.  Armed with that information, I decided one random day in the office that I'd head out after work.

It was a stunning evening, and the walk itself was beautiful and full of interest.  I got lost a couple of times where the paths had overgrown, which is always a sign of a good walk.  The views from The Cloud were tremendous.  I spent half an hour watching a bird of prey hunt, and explored a Neolithic burial chamber on the way down.  And I was back at the station just in time for the train back to Manchester.

It's those moments along the way that pierce through experience into life and become the unforgettable.

If everything else goes by the wayside, I hope that I have much more exploring of the English country to do throughout 2014.  And if anyone wants to join me there's always room for more.  You can normally keep tabs on me on Twitter and I'll give you a heads up!