Wild Camp With Me: Hiking, Philosophising And Camping In The Welsh Hills

perceptualflaws (66) in wildcampwithme • 6 years ago (edited)

Natures Embrace

For several reasons it's been a rough few months, that's life. Equally, because I have no expectation that I should be happy on a daily basis, I embrace and learn from my every mood state. If I'm feeling down then I will transfer my mind frame into a writing subject that a state of happiness and optimism may preclude me from exploring, and vice versa. Discounting depression; (which is something I'm grateful I don't suffer from) we have been taught to run from our fears and hide from our cycles of negativity. In reality, I feel such cycles need to be faced, aknowledged and learned from.

Within these moments I observe the rise and fall of the seasons and the waxing and waning of our mighty tides. Like the ebb and flow of the oceans, when held in natures embrace I begin to understand that my moods have a symbiotic connection with the life pulse of the earth; breathe in, breathe out. As I float free with the tides of mood and refuse to fight against it's cognitive undercurrents, I begin to realise that in some strange way a part of me welcomes these transient moments of self abandonment.

And now as the tide begins to turn and once again lap against the shore of my life, I realise that during those moments floundering in it's murky depths I was actually searching for (and finding) lost treasures of self realisation. Walking through a psychological hall of mirrors, my macro consciousness existing outside (and learning from) the shattered image that the mirror reflects back on me.

Wild Camp With Me

As the tide began to rise, life granted me some elusive free time and I grasped it with open arms! I booked a cottage in the middle of nowhere and decided to split my time between there and (as per my title picture) a spot of wild camping. I spent a lot of my wild youth running from the Babylon, knocking around free festivals, illegal raves and squat parties (riots, raves and close shaves!) and generally had a brilliant time; I drank from the well of excess but in all honesty (as a teetotal 40 something) nothing ever sated my thirst for life like a hike or a night spent under the stars. These hills, valleys and rivers are my club, my rave and my church .. and I'll protect this earth until my dying breath.

That said, all this talk of my fading youth has put me in the mood for a bit of music.

There is something so self-empowering about being at one with the land; working with it and reading it, alas in this era of digital daydreams it's also an understanding that increasingly absent from our lives. Whilst our palaces of pleasure may fall to the sand, there will always be earth to muddy my hands.

Nature might be my church; but she is also my nurturer, and within a few fleeting hours the fading vestiges of my negativity have been set free, cast to the four winds and carried away on the warm summer breeze. I ponder many perspectives and gratefully acknowledge that we're artists within the tapestry of life, Mozarts of mind manifestation. Equally, I lament that a sizeable majority appear asleep at the wheel of life.

I understand that by virtue of the nature of reality; that there can be neither finality or the ultimate darkness we've all been taught to fear. I understand that within our physical expression of the macrocosm of universal law it's always darkest before dawn. I understand that ultimately once this cycle plays out we will find balance within ourselves and the world at large. Where I differ from some, is that I refuse to encase myself in a utopian bubble whilst the bombs rain down and the world and it's inhabitants suffer at the hands of abuse and degredation.

Whilst people starve we will all grow spiritually malnourished, there will be no freedom until we are all free, and that people will remain unbalanced until the world is in balance. On the macro scale everything works itself out; but equally, at the micro level we inhabit, our choices within this moment in time are profoundly important. I feel that we each have a responsibility to least attempt to leave the world a better place than the one we were born into. That whilst the only thing you really have any complete control over is the ability to change yourself, by changing ourselves we may just change the world. For better or worse; our thoughts and the choices and decisions we make within this life will echo through the halls of eternity until there is no man left to hear them, so let's be mindful of our intent.

On days like these, the loneliness of these hills and valleys greets me like a delicate symphony of silence. Even my old dog is out and raring to go; fifteen years old and still going strong, I wonder if I'll still be hill walking at 105 years old?!

And so as the sun sets on another day, it's time to leave my thoughts and head back to my camp. But if you wish, I'll be back to share the rest of journey.

Written by perceptualflaws
Original pictures by perceptualflaws
Banner Gifs courtesy of @justcallmemyth

wildcampwithme philosophy spirituality hiking palnet

6 years ago by perceptualflaws (66)

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flauwy (73) · 6 years ago

Beautiful pictures with this prime forest. I miss England.

And even more beautiful words, my friend. We live in a powerful time but we ripple our own creation into the universe with every living breath of our existence. And by constantly working on ourselves, deprogramming subconscious thoughts and behaviors we have been programmed with, we are making this new world happen as it has been foreseen by so many cultures around the world.

Stay strong and in your heart.

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perceptualflaws (66) · 6 years ago

Thank you for the kind words my friend. And yes I agree entirely with your sentiment, I remain very mindful of my thoughts .. and even during times of negativity channel them into areas of productivity and ultimately positivity. I just feel that life hides many gifts within our most testing of times and that by papering over the cracks and denying they exist, we deny a learning process. The key (like you allude to) is training your mind to recognise the nature of those gifts, and the direction they're gently nudging us towards.

Separately, nearly three years ago I stood on a stage reading my best friends eulogy, in that instant watching the reaction to my words I felt his hand on my shoulder and I knew I had to return to writing .. and here I am, and now I realise that in those deepest depths of sorrow his parting gift has become my vocation and my life, and for that I'm eternally grateful. If we look hard enough, we can often find light in the darkest of nights. Thanks again @flauwy

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j85063 (67) · 6 years ago

Beautiful place and reflection on life.

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perceptualflaws (66) · 6 years ago

Hey @j85063, Thanks for stopping by .. really glad you appreciated the post, and yes it's such a beautiful area. :)

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j85063 (67) · 6 years ago

Glad to see a post from you again.

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perceptualflaws (66) · 6 years ago

Thanks my friend, I should have another post next week. I have a few things I have to put in place before I start on my main book, so I will write a couple of more articles on here whilst I have the time. Thanks again.

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j85063 (67) · 6 years ago

Very good 😁

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mepatriot (69) · 6 years ago

I LOVE WALES...especially the area around Snowden.

My daughter married a Welshman a couple years ago from near Mold... I tease them that their first child will be Queen of an independent Wales one day.

I wear my Cymri hoodie all the time.

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perceptualflaws (66) · 6 years ago

Hey @mepatriot hope you're well my friend. Yes, I couldn't agree more .. for a tiny little country, and with a beauty and grandeur that surpasses all expectation .. Wales packs a mighty punch! I know the Sowdon area very well and have climbed the majority of the mountains .. we often stay in Betws-y-coed. Below is a post I wrote from a mountain hike around that area, hope you're enjoying a good start to the weekend! https://steempeak.com/travel/@perceptualflaws/join-me-on-a-hike-to-cwn-idwal-the-devils-kitchen-in-the-heart-of-snowdonia-national-park-original-pictures

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mepatriot (69) · 6 years ago

Grogeous photoblog!! Thanks for sharing.

I've only ever driven by Snowden, but have been all around North Wales and all the way down the coast from Bangor to Harlech Castle, and all across the north coast. Spent a day (and nice restaurant lunch) in Betws-y-coed. Also spent a week in Abersoch too...

Loved all the other North Wales castles, including one of the oldest...Ewloe, which few ever visit.

Enjoyed LLandudno and the Victorian essence of the area, as well as the magical place which is Portmeirion, and took the train from the coast up to one of the cheapest real estate markets in all of Britain...Blaenau Ffestiniog. If I ever moved to Britain, that's where I would look first, as I love the hills there as well.

I dream of a push for Welsh independence some day, but even my son-in-law (a Lewis born there) doesn't want it, as seems to be the case with the so many of the young people, that I doubt it will ever happen.

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perceptualflaws (66) · 6 years ago

Yeah the coastal drive is beautiful .. I think (from memory) Wales has the highest concentration of castles in the world, most around it's borders coast .. like Harlech, which was built by Edward the 1st as he couldn't invade via the land. My wife is Welsh .. but the only true seekers of independence, remain in North Wales, where they still speak the native tongue. They also have a native tongue in Cornwall, which became extinct in the 18th century .. but has experienced a revival and I really hope they manage to keep it alive, such a shame to lose an entire language. :(

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mepatriot (69) · 6 years ago

It is indeed sad. Wales has done a bit better with programs designed for the children to be bilingual, but getting Cornish back would be AWESOME! Is it somewhat like Breton, I wonder?

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perceptualflaws (66) · 6 years ago

It has common roots with both Breton and Welsh. :)

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mepatriot (69) · 6 years ago

Makes sense.

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