Half way up to the summit, from where we’d left most of the group to take an alternative path, I froze with fear, couldn’t move.
In our newsletters we have a theme about discovering something that is ‘Still In You’. The psychologist Abraham Maslow described this as a ‘Peak Experience’ . A moment of intense emotion when, for example, watching a sunset or listening to Bach, being in love, feeling deep joy, transcendence in nature or reaching a long- held goal. It’s an event that affects us well beyond the time of its happening- in some cases for the rest of our life.
Heather was a WalkingWomen guest this summer near Lech in Austria, the holiday adventure was a fabulous and unforgettable trip, full of highs, friendship, fabulous food and glorious hotel at Burgi’s.
One guest, Heather, took her Austrian trip to a whole new level – in her case this Peak Experience was a literal one – she tells us more here…
I found myself thinking about my parents, both dead for several years, and becoming embarrassingly tearful – a reversion perhaps, at the age of 69, to a childlike need for security in that moment.
We were on the 2544 metre (8346 feet) high Mohnenfluh mountain in the Austrian Alps.
Staying in Zug in the beautiful Lech Valley, we were already at 1500m. The day’s walk had been launched effortlessly with a cable car ascent up the next 500m. So when our wonderful guide Geli told us that the day’s options included a summit climb, I was in. The appeal of getting to the top of one of these majestic mountains was irresistible. For the next hour or so, the path meandered gently upwards through alpine meadows. Then suddenly, it narrowed dramatically, falling away steeply to one side and giving the first hint of what was to come.
We reached the decision point – up to the summit or down to the very appealing looking lake below for a swim.
My earlier confidence evaporated as I looked up and saw the steep narrow path disappearing across loose limestone into what looked like vertical rocky crags. A handful of people much younger than me were picking their way down gingerly, using walking poles for balance. I’m a reasonably fit walker but with minimal mountain experience and aware that ageing may be eating away at my confidence. The lake party was growing in number and suddenly there were just two of us left who hadn’t yet ruled out going on up. Geli was persuasive and so with heart firmly in my mouth, we set off for the top.
Fear is all in the mind, until suddenly it takes over the body – fight, flight, freeze or fawn. As the path grew rockier and the drop below us steeper, I made the mistake of looking down and then froze – convinced in some part of my brain that if I moved a muscle I’d fall. The sense of raw vulnerability was a shock and left me feeling exposed among relative strangers. Geli quickly realised I was struggling and came to my aid, holding my hand, reassuring me I wouldn’t fall off and helping to salvage my confidence. Her advice and support got me moving again.
‘Just look at my feet, don’t look down, follow exactly where I put my feet and hands. Small steps. Step by step.’
Don’t think about anything else – just follow Geli’s feet. Stay focused. When we needed our hands to climb, she took my poles. The steep rocky climb began to level off and I realised we’d done it – we were now actually at the top of the mountain! A cross and a metal box containing a notebook signed by previous visitors marked the summit. We added our names and congratulated each other – exhilarated by our achievement and by the extraordinary panorama of mountains and sky. It was the most beautiful day.
My co-walker and I had been worried about the descent but when it came to it, my brain had calmed down – I knew what to do and it seemed much easier than I’d feared. We missed the lake swim but the sense of thrill and personal pride at having overcome my fear and reached the top more than compensated.
‘Still in you’ really resonates, but I couldn’t have done it without the support of other women that is such a feature of Walking Women holidays.
Many thanks to Heather for sharing her ‘peak experience’ with us, we’re here to cheer everyone on, to remind them ‘you’ve got this’ and to create the opportunities for this to happen – safely! It doesn’t need to be a peak, peak experience! For many of us walking in the mountains is a transcendent experience in itself, one that creates a profound and permanent change in our sense of self . And that’s where our wonderful guides come in – like Geli in Austria. They are highly skilled, highly trained women – trust them, they know their area, the terrain, weather microcosms and local services. They know what is safe for you and they also know how they can support you to achieve more than you ever dreamed of.
If you want to experience these mountain highs in Austria then join us in 2027. We cannot wait to go back Austrian Summer Hiking August 2027
Thank you to Heather for sharing her peak experience and for Jay, as always, our wonderful gatherer and writer of stories of our remarkable walking women.
