Day 81 of the End to End in 2019 included route 75, a sort of off shoot of route 7, which was a new route for me. I think I got a few photos muddled from today’s route with yesterday’s route, but hey-ho, never mind.
Meanwhile in 2020, it’s difficult to find new routes in Longdendale that I’ve not taken many times before, especially on a rainy day. I can see the hills shrouded with cloud. Some days it’s so low or think you can’t even see these small hills.
Of the psalms in my remembered bible the one about hills is my most frequently used. Last night, not sleeping very well, it was my go to psalm for a night vigil.
Here’s a version of it from the Mobile Chapel of St Scholastica, which is currently stationary in Longdendale:
I lift my eyes up to the hills
From where does my help come?
My help, it comes from God the One
Who heaven and earth has made.
Who heaven and earth has made, my Lord,
And always watch does keep,
From morn to eve and through the night
God neither rests nor sleeps.It is also called the Traveller’s Psalm.
I try to walk everyday, even if only a little, to keep up some momentum and of course fitness. I’m itching to go beyond the current confines but only if safe to do so. I frequently look up routes I’ve not tried before to see if they might be a possible adventure. I’m currently helping on line to beta test the Old Way Guide, a pilgrim route in the South of England, which I’d like to walk at sometime if I can.
Most new routes are someone’s old route. We can take advice and courage from those who have gone that way before. Day 81 of LEJOG ended with a swim in the open air pool at Gourock where I happily floated about looking up at the clouds.
Song of the day: ‘For it’s from the old I travel to the new’ (Sydney Carter).
God of heaven and earth, of hills and clouds
those awesome witnesses to the way we go.
Be with us on routes old and new, that stepping out
We may be courageous: share in our discoveries.
JAL: 04.07.2020 in Longdendale.