Milton Mountaineers

Taking a group of 'Unsighted' people up England's Highest mountain peak

The call came from Ranger Headquarters

A group of blind people were coming to scale Scafell Pike (The Highest Lake District Peak)

Volunteers were required to help guide the blind people 12 blind people with at least 24 helpers.

Meet at Seathwaite Farm yard at 08:00 o Sunday 20 June

Please park down the lane leaving room for the farm traffic 

 

Sunday came two groups formed in the farm yard

Milton Mountaineers and National Park volunteers

The MM leader took charge

"Would all the 'unsighted' people please raise their hands, then the volunteers can choose a person to guide"

Hands raised there were two volunteers for each unsighted people

Putting my hand on the mans shoulder "Hi I am Bill" He replied "I am Henry - I come from Glasgow"

 

As we set out a lady joined us

"I am Joan" introductions made we set out holding Henry's arm as he showed me,

'Mind the rocks just here - Let us stop a while

I described the scene

'A stream down below'

"i can hear the ripples"

'I am unable to hear it'

"When you loose your sight your hearing improves"

'a small tree down by the stream'

"how deep is the gully"

'About twenty feet I hadn't thought to say that sorry'

"Its alright just bits of information to help complete the scene'

We continued to ascend the rocky path until we reached a point where Great Gable came into clear view

I described the scene "There is a wall over there" he said

'Can you see it' I asked

"No some one did the walk and made a Talking Book of it and sent each one of us a copy"

The path became more rocky; in places both of us helped him over, but for most of the way he felt where to put his feet

Reaching the summit he requested to be take to the massive cairn he then walked round; feeling his way hands never leaving the stone cairn. When he reached the memorial plaque he read it out to us feeling each letter with his fingers

A mist had descended oblitering the landscape.

 

On the return journey we descended from the cloud in to a clear view up Borrowdale to the distant Skiddaw

I mentioned this remarking how it would have been a good view from the summit

He replied "I feel sorry for you sighted people you have to take what God sends us, we unsighted can imagine what weather we want    

A girl had come up behind us "Is that Henry? She asked

"Yes! Is that Gillian"

He then went on to explain Gillian was an international blind skier and went on the say how her husband shuted instructions as he skied in front

They felt their way across a travers across a vertical cliff. Then a smooth walk along a grass path back to Seathwaite Farm

Reviews

[Einstein Noodle]

wow! you have given me a very unique experience Wild Rose ... well done ... form has no hold on such story telling ... i was completely engaged .. well done .. seeing views from both sighted and un-sighted is very cool ... nice job!
E.
ps. the names of things and places i.e.Seathwaite and Scafell and Borrowdale bring flavor and a sense of old England to me .. tho i have never been ... i appreciate the rich, deep history.

[Wild Rose]

Place names > I got a job and we live here
The experience is true I was an LDNP voluntary warden. From all the things we did as VW's this was the most unique and rememberable

Thanks for reading and the comment

[Einstein Noodle]

i kind of got that impression...that you live there and the story is true ... volunteering always enriches those volunteering more than those one helps .. like owning a good dog ... we get so much more than we receive ... i think you are fortunate to live in such a wondrous, history rich place ..

[Wild Rose]

As an 11 YO townie I was given dads old racing bike
At 12 I joined a cycling club > Toured The Yorkshire Dales _ Peak District
At 35 came to live here on the Lake District boundary > Heaven - lakes and mountains on our dorrstep

[Einstein Noodle]

ohhhhhhhhhhhhh sounds magical ... i am retired in the Ozark Mountains ...a life long dream .. we have little towns like Wolf's Bayou, Flippin', Fifty- Six ... Eureka Springs ... all great eclectic places and people ... Flippin has an exotic pet store ... of all things to have in a tiny little town...an exotic pet store ;)))))))))

[QRamble]

International blind skier? was not expecting that. Enjoyed it very much!

[Alexa Nichols]

Interesting read. I like all the details you peppered throughout. 💓

[Wild Rose]

It was a very interesting day out. we knew the route; but to describe it to my chosen companion (Who was about mid forties and had lost his sight) he had also taken the route when he could see
His memory was so vivid now

[bigfootprint]

You tell us a good tale, Wild Rose. Never climbed a mountain except in a car, which never made it to the top of Pike's Peak. We turned around at the tree line and rode the brakes back to the bottom. It is refreshing to see the unsighted people in action as they maintain their good mood and their appreciation of reality. The genuine sympathy shows in the guides' professionalism. There are many grammar, syntax, and usage issues, but it is a fine narrative.

[Wild Rose]

Thanks Bigfootprint > I admit my usage of English grammar is not top mark
I was given dads old racing bike at 11 YO & at12 joined a cycling club
I found the open moorlands; or rather was introduced to them Now 70 years later we are still fell walkers > 10 miles from home to the nearest fell side

[bigfootprint]

I admire your sense of adventure. Enjoyed the read.

[LKBillips]

This was really interesting. Great practice for a writer too. To describe the scenes in details so they can picture it in their mind's eye. Every great story!

[Wild Rose]

Thank you LKB
Yes Barley girl has been saying I need to add more details

[barleygirl]

This is a brilliant idea for sharing & it's well written to be very "visual"! This is my favorite of what I've read of yours so far. I believe I've encouraged you to add more imagery to some of your postings that I've reviewed, but in this poem you are "forced" to convey the sensory aspects of this hike (I'm laughing at this coincidence!) I guess I know what the lesson is here! (Besides blind people having better imaginations!) I have to rely on my dogs to keep me focused on what interesting stuff there is to explore . . . I watch them, watching the world, then I follow suit! *smile* Fondly Margie

[Wild Rose]

Thank Margie
so Describe the scene as if for a blind person
Explain how to do practical things as if telling your granny
My wife was slow on her feet so I had reconiter the path for her - Now she has an electric scooter and buzzez off in front
Difficult to remember BUT I will keep on trying and soon it should become automatic - sort of

[Verse]

Oh, fascinating! I was familiar with blind runners in marathons, but had never heard of sight-challenged mountain climbers. Then again, why not?

Beautifully told, and the true beauty of this piece is the echo of the blind perspective, which has to take into account the sighted perspective. You have at least four perspectives here: blind on its own (when the two friends meet, for instance) blind with sighted (where he explains what his imagination can do), sighted on its own and sighted taking the blind perspective into account, which is what this poem gently guides us to do.

To say that this is thought-provoking doesn’t quite do the trick - this write improves our vision even as it teaches us to listen harder for the different points of view out there. :):)

What a lovely life lesson!! :):). Thank you for sharing this write with all of us.

V

[Wild Rose]

Thank you so much Verse This is my only personal experience of blind people
Of course I have watched bling cyclists in tandem races and downhill skiers on TV

[Verse]

I’ve never watched blind downhill skiers, so this is all new doe me!

My pleasure, WR!

V

[Wild Rose]

The sighted partner skis in front - shouting instructions
The aim is for the unsighted partner to be able to keep close
Last week think inNZ or Aus a world paraplegic winter games Husband & wife team they wer almost as fast as the fastest sighted skier

[Verse]

Wow!!! That’s really something. Both of them just as fast as the fastest sighted guy or woman, who had half the work.

[Wild Rose]

Yes now the have paraplegic games there are lots of 'disabled' athletes who are achieving times close the sighted

[Neville]

You have more than adequately described here some of the wonderful ways we, as a species manage to overcome adversity and loss.. Often, as you have intimated, our bodies manage to compensate for a sensory loss (hearing may become more acute if vision is lost or impaired).. The willingness for some folk to offer help, or support, assist and guide even is something I hope as a species we shall never grow out of.. sadly, there is not as much of it about tho today methinks... I thoroughly enjoyed this prose narrative my friend.. again your description of your local geography and terrain is exceptional.... I used to both walk and climb up north quite regularly, but that was long ago... I beat Scafell Pike, maybe a dozen times...... Neville

[Wild Rose]

She has an electric scooter now - drives round the supermarket like a rally driver can spin to round in the aisles (Takes care when people are around - not a girl racer)
So our days on the fell tops are over - now more like normal tourists
Descriptions I was teaching Industrial Instrumentation - mostly descriptive (how things worked)

[Neville]

It happens...
I am sure you were very good at it too... N

[Ken Simm.]

A place I know very well. But I have never heard it, until now.

[Chris Shaw]

This must have been a really interesting experience to be involved with Wild Rose. Quite amazing the way people can adapt when they have disabilities. Quite mind boggling for me to contemplate yet they took it all in their stride. Wonderful read.

Chris

[Wild Rose]

It was Gillian the skier who was the surprise
To ski 'at speed' down a steep hill twisting and turning to another persons instructions .. Scary (to me)
Its hard enough going down hill no brakes on a bike when you can see

[Chris Shaw]

I have seen blind skiers in action with their guides on TV in the O!ymlics. Nerves of steel. Amazing courage.

[Melissa]

I love stories like this that give the reader insight into a unique experience. This was very interesting!

[Wild Rose]

Pleased you like it
It is an easy (as far as mountain paths go) steep/ rocky in places
read morePleased you like it
It is an easy (as far as mountain paths go) steep/ rocky in places
The Milton Mountaineers go to different places just about all year round