County Galway nestles into the midpoint of the west coast of Ireland. Its beautiful region of Connemara reaches out into the Atlantic Ocean, with the busy market town of Clifden at the tip. Connemara is known for its sturdy ponies, the iconic Kylemore Abbey, the long and moody Killary Fjord, fly-fishing, James Joyce and two striking, compact mountain ranges: the Twelve Bens and the Maumturks.
These two ranges, cloaked in rich green and blue tones, are separated by the Inaugh Valley. From a road that weaves along its floor, you can look up at their very distinct and imposing peaks, ridges and saddles. By the standards of Canada’s western mountains, the Bens and the Maumturks are not very high—about 700 metres—but they rise sharply from sea level.
I have spent many long days solo in the mountains of Connemara, hiking to each of the peaks of the Twelve Bens and through most of the often treacherous ridges of the Maumturks. Their proximity to the sea can make things interesting. In any one day it is possible to find yourself in clear skies, heavy fog, sheeting rain and blasting wind—and to find your feet on grasses, mosses, heather, bracken, shale, peat, stone and solid rock. There are few defined paths, apart from deceptive sheep trails, and you must be very careful not to find yourself suddenly on the edge of a steep cliff. You need to be fully alert, fully alive.
I enjoy hill walking alone because it is deeply contemplative and utterly real: there is no space between my body and creation nor between my spirit and the Creator. Some might call this a “thin place,” in the language of Celtic spirituality.
In this season of late autumn, as the vivid colours of October fade into the still, watchful days of November, creation reminds us that our bodies move through seasons, through times of ease, fullness, struggle, loss. We are in this way very much part of creation, and nothing can remove us from that reality, so it is wise to embrace it and to live life as fully as possible.
To feel truly alive, truly at home, listen well to the one who gives you life. Walk closely with the Creator, who is among us, within us, before us, behind us, beneath us, above us—telling us to live and love as Jesus did: with mercy, compassion and peace, bringing hopeful, saving, redeeming, transforming love to all creation and all creatures.
