In December 2018, the winter solstice to be precise, I climbed Ben Hope with Alan Rowan, an all-round adventurer, and hill walker. Alan is also an author and has had several books published on walking the Scottish mountains by moonlight. My lunar experience was one of the most incredible things I have ever done. The weather was perfect, cold, but perfect and the snow and ice were magical and amazing in equal measure.

I am in the book; I am Chapter 13, the Cold Moon. I am so privileged to be part of this small group of extra-ordinary souls, how have the ability and skill sets to climb safely in these types of conditions.

This was a very significant goal for me as it supported my psychological resilience during a very turbulent period of my life. I am living my best life and I hope the context and content of this book inspire others to do the same.

When living in Scotland, it’s easy to be distracted by the rain, the wind, and the cold weather that we seem to endure on a very regular basis. But when you can observe the weather in-between, you witness something extraordinary, the country and the mountains at their best.  I have so much to be grateful for and so much of life still to live.

Enjoy the book, if you do not have time to read the entire book, read chapter 13 the Cold Moon.

#ProfDockers