Walking Up Scafell Pike with My Father by Christian Ward

Walking Up Scafell Pike with My Father
by Christian Ward

After walking a few yards
you breathe like someone
who has slipped across the border.

I am ahead, you are far
behind. There are no rest stops
on this rocky path to the summit,

no hedgerows to distract
our lack of common interests
or silences broken up with ums

and ers. You wear a jacket
of rain and I nudge you ahead with tuts.
At the top, there is nothing

but what a view. We are at opposite
ends of the plateau with only similar
rocks bringing us closer.

PHOTO: Hikers starting the climb to the summit of Scafell Pike, England’s tallest mountain. Photo by Whitcomberd, used by permission.

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: At 3,209 feet, Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England. Located in Cumbria‘s Lake District National Park, one of the most beautiful national parks in the country, it is an iconic sight and makes for a formidable (yet enjoyable) walk.  It is best to go there in summer and avoid the rain. The rocks can be slippery and it is a lot easier to reach the summit when dry. The view at the top is extremely impressive, with some wonderful views of the surrounding mountains.

MAP: Scafell Pike is located in Cumbria (noted in red), a county in North West England that borders Scotland.

PHOTO: Scafell Pike (center), Cumbria, England. Photo by Georgi Fadejev, used by permission.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Christian Ward is a UK-based writer who can be currently found in Culture Matters and the League of Poets. At present, he is working on a memoir of his school days.