Alrighty, good to see you here again.How's things?This week marked the ninth anniversary since Josh left us in person which, considering that represents nearly a third of my life is quite crazy to comprehend. The anniversary weekend was spent with his family hiking up and down three of the tallest limestone-laden hills in the Yorkshire Dales National Park raising funds for The Good Grief Project by taking on the Three Peaks Challenge in one day. Who's idea was that?!The Good Grief Project are a UK-based family-run charity who host Active Grief retreat weekends for bereaved families and friends to allow them the time and space to process the complexities of grief in creative and energetic ways. As we walked side-by-side with sixteen strangers in similar situations, it was clear that the agony of grief was able to be expressed far easier in a natural environment than it's usually able to throughout the humdrum of daily life. Agony was the appropriate word-of-the-weekend considering the challenge took us over 12 continuous hours, 25 miles in distance, 5,200ft of elevation and 60,000 steps to complete. My damn knees, jeez.I've only done a few relatively gruelling challenges over the years and those of you who've done something similar will know just how much of a mental battle they are, often more so than the physical demands on the body.The typified example of this came at a pivotal moment in the challenge during the third and final rest stop at around 4pm as daylight was dissipating with the thickening fog. The last team member, who had struggled to descend the brutal stone steps of the second peak with the pace needed to complete the challenge, was given the ultimatum it was now too risky for them to continue at that pace and the support vehicle would have to take them back without completing the challenge.An incomprehensible outcome.That ultimatum was met with an expected emotional response but then a resultant mental upshift in the courage needed to continue on with what can only be described as grief-driven physical overdrive. Running on nothing but adrenaline and dogged determination, the final peak was somehow successfully summited in the remaining four hours, much to the adulation of all the team involved. Rightfully deserved!We ended the challenge with a few drams of whisky to help ease the pain and then shared stories among newfound friends who'd just made lifelong memories in the name of their loved lost ones.Priceless.I took my camera along and documented the day if you're interested in seeing the scenery with a few special moments captured: enjoy the views here.Until next time.Keep someone's memory alive today.Charlie
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SUNDAY NIGHT SLIDES
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Alrighty, good to see you here again.How's things?This week marked the ninth anniversary since Josh left us in person which, considering that represents nearly a third of my life is quite crazy to comprehend. The anniversary weekend was spent with his family hiking up and down three of the tallest limestone-laden hills in the Yorkshire Dales National Park raising funds for The Good Grief Project by taking on the Three Peaks Challenge in one day. Who's idea was that?!The Good Grief Project are a UK-based family-run charity who host Active Grief retreat weekends for bereaved families and friends to allow them the time and space to process the complexities of grief in creative and energetic ways. As we walked side-by-side with sixteen strangers in similar situations, it was clear that the agony of grief was able to be expressed far easier in a natural environment than it's usually able to throughout the humdrum of daily life. Agony was the appropriate word-of-the-weekend considering the challenge took us over 12 continuous hours, 25 miles in distance, 5,200ft of elevation and 60,000 steps to complete. My damn knees, jeez.I've only done a few relatively gruelling challenges over the years and those of you who've done something similar will know just how much of a mental battle they are, often more so than the physical demands on the body.The typified example of this came at a pivotal moment in the challenge during the third and final rest stop at around 4pm as daylight was dissipating with the thickening fog. The last team member, who had struggled to descend the brutal stone steps of the second peak with the pace needed to complete the challenge, was given the ultimatum it was now too risky for them to continue at that pace and the support vehicle would have to take them back without completing the challenge.An incomprehensible outcome.That ultimatum was met with an expected emotional response but then a resultant mental upshift in the courage needed to continue on with what can only be described as grief-driven physical overdrive. Running on nothing but adrenaline and dogged determination, the final peak was somehow successfully summited in the remaining four hours, much to the adulation of all the team involved. Rightfully deserved!We ended the challenge with a few drams of whisky to help ease the pain and then shared stories among newfound friends who'd just made lifelong memories in the name of their loved lost ones.Priceless.I took my camera along and documented the day if you're interested in seeing the scenery with a few special moments captured: enjoy the views here.Until next time.Keep someone's memory alive today.Charlie