Bailing is not failing - what really happened in the bothy
Today's blog is all about "Bailing is not Failing," ….and I really can’t wait to share this tale about my recent bothy adventure.
So buckle up, grab a cuppa, and let's dive in!
Two things that really scare the pants off me are:
Wild camping
Sharing a room with people
And so I decided the best way to get over this was to sleep in a bothy up a mountain in the Lake District with my friend Jane.
(If you’re not familiar with bothies, they’re basic shelters in remote places, that hikers can rock up and sleep in)
We embarked on this adventure for one simple reason: to push our boundaries. Why not confront my fears head-on?
We set off on Saturday morning - loaded with packs heavier than a five-year-old. The journey was picturesque, but things took a turn when we reached the bothy.
As we stepped inside, reality hit us like a ton of bricks. The bothy (albeit quaint and charming from the outside) was anything but welcoming on the inside.
It was cold, grim and gave off major horror movie vibes.
Despite our best efforts to cosy up, we ended up in our sleeping bags by 7 o'clock, trying to stave off the cold.
Long story short, we bailed.
Yep, we couldn't make it through the night.
But here's the kicker: bailing wasn't failing.
It was an empowered choice to prioritise our well-being. And let me tell you, the adventure didn't end there.
Navigating down the mountain in the dark, amidst a raging storm, was a whole new level of adrenaline. We relied on our wits and eventually made it to the safety of Jane’s parents’ house.
The next day we went to a spa.
I want to share the lessons I learned with you, because there’s some absolute gold in there:
It’s good to test your boundaries and get comfortable with being uncomfortable
Discernment – knowing whether I was on high alert from the (horror) story I was telling myself OR whether it actually didn’t feel right. For me it was cold, oppressive and grim, and I didn’t feel safe.
You’ve got nothing to prove. It was just my ego keeping me there. Bailing is not failing, it’s an empowered no
Pick your tribe wisely. I trust Jane, she trusts me, I respect her and she me. Together we’re a good team and I had no doubt we’d get down off that mountain safely
Trust yourself to manage a crisis. To make wise decisions, not panic. Out on those fells in pitch black in a storm, was like an out-of-body experience. Adreneline pumping. And yet I didn’t panic. I was able to choose the best course of action, and follow it through
Take the time to integrate experiences. To honour it was scary and was high octane and I needed to take time to process and ground. We chose to do this over a full English at a farm shop
Allow yourself to be supported and mothered. This is a huge one for me, as I always feel the need to be independent and self-sufficient. Seeing Jane’s parents welcome us with open arms and make a cuppa and pop us into bed was huge
Have the right tools for the job. So much easier if trust your kit
To have a safety net, always. It’s so much easier to take risks if there’s a Plan B
So, there you have it: my tale of bailing, not failing.
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