Student Bloggers

When you’re as un-athletic as I am, the mere suggestion of signing up for an activity weekend seems more like a dare. Most of my physical activity happens on stage as I run around and dance during the performances. So the thought of spending a weekend in the wilderness completely out of my element horrified me at first. But then I thought, when’s the next time I’m going to have the chance to climb the highlands in Scotland? And so, I rose to the challenge (or what the rest of the group considered to be a leisurely weekend), packed my bags, and headed off to my activity weekend destination: Firbush Point Centre.

Firbush Point is located an hour north of Stirling near a town called Killin. To get to it, you have to wind your way through the narrow streets of the town, bumping along the one way street. After an endless number of twists and turns down a scenic path, you’ve reached your destination: Firbush Point. When I arrived, the sun had already set so all I could really make out was a large cabin and a shack with kayaks and sails resting on the side of it. I could hear the sound of water gently lapping, but I wasn’t sure where it was coming from. I didn’t have time to look, though, as I was ushered inside to my own cabin.

I was then briefed on what my day would be like tomorrow. Bob, the head organizer of Firbush explained we’d be hiking throughout the day; due to the forecast of high winds, we might not be able to take the high climb and instead do a lower one. While the sounds of disappointment were audible, I silently cheered. Maybe I could get through this weekend on the lower climb!

With that positive thought in mind, I went to bed as we had an early morning call the next day. Although it wasn’t easy waking up at 8am, it was worth it for the two things: the food and the view. The two chefs were at it again, preparing a full English breakfast for us. In the dining room, the windows opened up to a 360 degree view of water surrounding the cabin - little did I know that we were settled on an island. From my tiny, rustic table you could see it past the water and to the highlands. My grip on my coffee cup became tighter; that’s what I’ll be climbing up today. No pressure.

Breakfast was consumed and we dressed for the upcoming cold hike. I underestimated how much the Southern highlands get rain, as I dressed in a crew neck jumper, jeans and hiking boots. Thankfully, Firbush is prepared for the inexperienced such as myself and provided rain jackets and trousers. I laughed at the idea of having to wear such large, fluorescent clothing but it was actually the greatest thing I could have had on me.

After a 30 minute drive north to Balquhidder, we arrived at Rob Roy MacGregor’s grave site. We toured the nearby church which was quaint and peaceful; thankfully we were inside because this was the first storm to hit. It was at this point that I cheered for the ugly rain suits we were given. Now fully dressed, we were ready to begin our hike.

Up the Clan Maclaren trail, it was like any other walk; a slight incline but not enough to set you back. I was at the front of the group, silently marching on for fear that if I spoke my oxygen supply would deplete faster. This walking continued for two hours throughout the scenic hills, with rain making its entrance every ten minutes. We stopped by a quaint waterfall, and I was proud of myself; I obviously felt tired but it wasn’t enough to make me stop. However, fear began to creep in.

“Alright everyone, at this point we will have to walk in single file as the trail is very steep and narrow. The path becomes hard to figure out, so try not to fall behind,” Bob warned.

Great. All my fears seemed to combine into one. I internally panicked wondering if I should call it quits and stay at the bottom while everyone else who had the skill to climb go ahead. I wasn’t able to make this decision though as the group began to move and I was in the middle of the crowd.

Everyone jokingly claimed that they couldn’t continue up. If they can’t do it, how on earth would I be able to do this? These kids visit the gym every day; the last time I was in a gym working out was four months ago doing yoga.

My breath shortened; my energy tank had hit empty. I let the rest of the group trudge past me as I rested on the edge of the hill.

“How pathetic,” I thought to myself. I was now the last person in the group, with even the old men running Firbush ahead of me. One of them was tasked with the job of shepherding the last of the pack and encouraged me to go on. I waved him off, not realizing that this was his job.

"You know, you may think that the challenge is all physical. It’s actually 99% physical, and that last 1% is mental- you have to tell yourself you can go on.”

Wise words, old man. With that in mind, I slowly climbed upward. It was another 45 minutes of hiking, but after one fall in the mud and multiple expletives. I did it; I had reached our destination.

So a hike of this distance was like a cakewalk to the rest of the group. But for me, someone who is used to powerwalking the streets of Washington, DC and New York City, this was completely new. It was an actual challenge, but once I reached the top I was exhilarated. The views were spectacular and just knowing that I was at the top/destination was the best feeling I’ve had in a long time.

I don’t spend much of my time in nature (obviously). But in this moment, I wasn’t looking to rush back down. There’s something special about standing on the edge, looking out to everything that the world has to offer. No notifications to distract you, no need to Tweet about it, no technology to pull you away from the moment. For someone who lives a fast-paced city life, this was the opposite; time could not have moved slower and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

However it was soon time to descend the hillside and hike back down to where we started. On the way, we found a loch nestled behind the giant rocks we parked at, and it too was stunning. As we began to march back, I had a moment of clarity. I don’t need to keep up with everyone, I don’t need to try to impress them. What I need to do, is do this for myself. I think that’s the greatest thing that I’ve learned on this trip - I can do anything as long as I tell myself I can.

This new inspirational philosophy led to several embarrassing attempts to be athletic, such as sliding down the highlands instead of taking the walking path; kayaking (even though I’ve never been in a boat before) and getting an injury during a ceildhi. I won’t divulge in that last incident, but I will say it’s a hilarious story for a later time. Because even when you’re completely out of your element, the best thing to do is find the good parts and enjoy yourself.

Until the next time,
Sam