The arrival of the Autumn half term holiday brings a much awaited break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Everyone has their own way of winding down and taking their mind off school and work.
Some echo the hibernation of bears and hedgehogs, spending their time in blissful rest and relaxation, emerging rejuvenated when term time begins again, while others take a much more active approach to finding peace of mind in the holidays.
One particular group of family friends, 14 people strong, this half term, armed with an affinity for the outdoors, decided to spend their October bank holiday conquering Scafell Pike, the tallest peak in England.
The family set out early Sunday morning, water bottles and protein bars in bags, trekking poles adjusted to height.
They began their hike in high spirits, taking regular breaks to refresh and appreciate the natural beauty around them.
Olivia Villapando, 16 year old member of the hiking group, told me things had been going perfectly at first. “The mountain ascent was very calm and allowed me to reconnect with nature”, she said.
They reached the summit in good time, having overcome the stubborn rocky terrain on the journey up. The winds at the peak, however, were much too strong and the group could not stop to rest. They kept walking until they reached a fork in the road: jagged slippery rocks obstructed their way.
“We didn’t know what to do,” 12 year old Miqdaad Rupawala told me. “It was going to be dark soon and it was like we had nowhere to go.”
It was at this crucial moment that they were spotted struggling by three kind young men.
Where there had before been no one to ask for advice, they had arrived like three guardian angels sent from above.
They offered to guide them back to the campsite: the only issue being that the family’s cars had been parked on the opposite side of the mountain.
Sunset was nearing, and with scarce supply of light, and the fear of being lost in the darkness, the group had no option but to take their help and descend, albeit in the wrong direction.
The conditions were tough, strong winds and ceaseless rain, but all 14 people held on to whatever energy and adrenaline they could muster to reach safety before their torches’ battery ran out.
They fell over multiple times, but their resilience was unmatched.
With the three men shining their torches in front of them, each person heeded their step, and, using their trekking poles as mobility canes, after four hours of persevering through the cold rain, reached the campsite.
Now came the real struggle: with the cars parked on the northern side, how would they all get back to their hostel?
The three men’s kindness was immeasurable; they offered to drive two adults to go and pick up the cars from the other campsite, despite being eager to retreat to their own beds after such a chaotic day.
And so they did. The rest of the family waited and tried to warm up in the campsite bathrooms, snacking on food generously provided by the three good samaritans to distract themselves from the shivering.
They were all drenched, freezing cold, warming their hands under the dryers and warm taps.
Nevertheless the main thought recurring in their minds was how grateful they all were for having made it down the mountain.
“I think it just goes to show that everything can always get worse, so the only thing to do is to stop crying and walk on,” one of the group members told me. “But like we saw, it can always get better. Those men did so much more than they needed to - they realised what we needed before we did. I think my biggest takeaway from all this is that I should always help others to the best of my ability, just like they did.”
After three hours of wait, the group were finally in their cars, driving back to their hostel, where they reached at 2:30 am, several hours later than expected. They went to sleep that night immensely grateful for the comfort of their beds.
Reflecting on the events of the trip, one of the group members told me, “The most full circle moment was when we saw a rainbow on our drive back home. It was as if someone, somewhere was trying to tell us that a rainbow will always follow the rain.”
“And truly I learnt so much out of this experience. Most of all, to take a torch next time I go mountain climbing!” she laughed.
It seems this group of fourteen will return to the winter term with a brand new perspective on life. When the clouds are murky and the skies are grey, all it takes is a helping hand for our worries to be washed away.
