The Bridge

This morning I found myself in one of my favourite walk locations. This area has all you could wish for and a fantastic array of different levels of challenge.

Many of you will be able to identify it from my photos but if not do let me know if you want the walk location.

From where we park we have the option to go in two different directions whilst following the cross country ski paths.

The cleared, open and light ski trail allows the dogs to run immediately and burn off that energy.

As we progress and walk down the trail there are numerous steep paths off to one side. On the other side we are fenced in by the river.

After about 1 km you come to the Bridge.

The Bridge is the only crossing of the river, without getting extremely wet. There is a good reason that there is a chain on the bridge as it is almost always slippery.

The choice is yours….. Do you continue down the ski track and maybe climb up to the Waterfall before you get to the Lake? Maybe some of your group members are slightly older and therefore the flatter ski tracks might suit them better today?

Or do you cross the Bridge into the unknown? There are very few paths on the other side of the river, given how few people take this choice. As soon as you have crossed the river there is an extremely steep and often slippery scramble up the slope. It tests your balance both on the way up and on the way down.

And yet if you dare take on the 60 metres of scrambling you are delivered into a wild wood paradise.

Here, there are as many trees lying on the ground as obstacles as there are standing. There are huge boulders covered in moss and bushes. Below you hear the river rumbling past.

Aside from one or two mud trails, there are very few signs of human life. It reminds me of when we used to explore completely deserted Valleys in the Alps, where maybe there is just one little abandoned stone hut left.

Needless to say, we crossed the Bridge.

Doggies: Mari, Nola, Kuling, Leopold and Mino