THE MOUNTAINS ARE CALLING..

The mountains are calling.. And I must go! Welcome back on My Wild Path. Hope everything is fine and that you’re enjoying your summer time! I just came back from my summer vacation and I had such a great time, but nothing lasts forever, so it’s time to get back to the everyday life. Not sure if I’m ready for that though!

So, if you’re a nature fan like me the title and the first words of this post are probably familiar to you. It’s a famous John Muir quote. John Muir was an influential Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, botanist, zoologist, glaciologist, and early advocate for the preservation of wilderness in the United States of America. Here’s more on him. His activism helped to preserve the Yosemite Valley and Sequoia National Park, and his example has served as an inspiration for the preservation of many other wilderness areas.

Why did I use this quote? Because I’m going to talk about another element that strongly led me on My Wild Path: the mountains.

I think that quote pretty much summarizes what happened to me. And also what happens to me every time I feel that desire to go on the mountains. It’s really like a call, the call of the mountains. The call of the wild. There’s nothing else to do than follow it and enjoy what it has to offer you. Because there’s really a lot to enjoy! As I wrote in my “The First Trail” post, everything started with a trail in the woods. I’m lucky to live in a place surrounded by beautiful mountains with plenty of wildlife. I first hiked on that trail and I was totally amazed by the landscape, the atmosphere, the peace that I was feeling while walking there. The silence, only interrupted by the chirping of the birds. That’s why I decided to explore more. Many other trails. Many other places. More mountains.

There’s something really magical about the mountains. And I invite you all to try it if you haven’t yet. The mountains are special, a mystic place where time seems to stop, where silence is the master. A place to discover step by step, at your own pace, with no rush to fully enjoy every detail. Mountains are nature masterpiece. Such a powerful environment, yet so delicate. In the mountains greatness, in its silence, you can really experience how small you are, but how beautiful is to be part of this infinite wonder. You feel the majesty of the mountains, but you’re not afraid of it. You’re actually staring at it with no words left, simply enjoying the moment. Because mountains demand respect!

I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced what I just wrote. But if you haven’t, please do it as soon as you can. Definitely you won’t regret! I still remember the first time I experienced almost total silence. I was hiking on the Tuscany Apennines, going to a lake that now I often pick as my wild camping spot. It’s a small lake comparing to others, but so quiet and there’s no one around. Just the perfect place! I remember the first time I arrived there. I was totally impressed. As soon as I stopped walking, literally no noise was perceptible. It was surreal! Complete silence, like I’ve never experienced before. For us, in our daily rushing life, in our overcrowded cities, in our fully accessorized homes, something like that it’s impossible to experience. But you know, sometimes it’s good to blow off some steam.

Some people find it hard to go to the mountains because of the physical effort it takes. Sometimes you have to hike for a long time. Trails are not always so easy and have a lot of elevation. You will get tired. Sometimes you will sweat a lot. But trust me, you will always be rewarded, because the mountains never disappoint you. And the walking is part of the mountains experience. Like everything in life, you need to put all your effort to reach something you truly want. Nothing comes so easy. The walking, the hike, is surely an effort, but comparing to others it has something more. It connects you with nature. It makes you feel alive. In the long and silent talks with the sun and the wind, in the slightly tired sweetness of the delicate sunsets, you can find serenity and tranquility.

There’s a lot more to say about the mountains, but I will get back on this topic in my future posts. I hope my words inspired you a bit to follow the call of the mountains. Next time just follow it, and then tell me about your experience. During my summer vacation I spent some time on the Dolomites, a spectacular mountain range located in northeastern Italy. I’m sure you already heard about that as they are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The landscape there is really unique. All the photos in this post are taken there, I hope they will give you an idea of the beauty of the mountains. Now it’s time for me to start the long editing process of all the photos I took there, wish me good luck!

And by the way, autumn will come soon, and that’s a great moment to explore the mountains. You will be blown away by the colors of the woods. Check more about this on my “Towards Autumn” post. It is also time to get ready for the deer rut season, I can’t wait! Let me know about your mountains experiences, I would be very happy to share some thoughts on that.

And remember! The mountains are calling..