Lessons from Mount Kosciuszko

Every year when I award the Gabi Smith memorial prize for friendship, I tell the students I have learnt far more in the Valleys than I ever did on the Mountaintops... and the climb also brings its own lessons and rewards.

I am reflecting that could be the reason I choose to challenge myself to such ascents while I am still able? A celebration of life and learning perhaps?

Recently I had the great privilege of climbing Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko in the Snowy Mountains. At 2200 metres, almost 1000 metres higher than Ben Nevis (although I cable car-ed part way to save my meniscus the agony of descent again!).

The first nation peoples held this great summit in reverence. The men of the tribe would meet at Dead Horse Gap- a stunning trail I had hiked the day before- then together walk to the lake to perform the ancient rites to their Eagle God.

They believed the Great Eagle nested on the mighty peaks around, drank from the lake and the scattered boulders on the shore were its discarded food, thrown from the nest edge.

The ancients did not ascend the mighty peak as I did yesterday, because that was where the Spirits met and danced.

My spirit certainly did as on a glorious gift of a day, when rain and poor visibility had been forecast, I touched the trig point and did my own happy dance in the company of the other ebullient ascenders.

Then as I returned, a detour to Seaman's Hut, a stone refuge with wood stove and supplies for stranded adventurers, in memory of two lost young men who died of hypothermia in a blizzard in the 1930s, gifted by their grieving parents to save other lives into the future.

I paid my respects in my heart and the visitor book, remembering the bereaved parents I have met on my journey, doing what they can to save others from that same unbearable heartache. As I tried to do by sharing our story of the dangers of Non Epileptic Attack Disorder.

And I gave thanks as I made my way down, for those other exhilarating ascents up Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Kinder Scout and the valued people who guided and accompanied my climbs.

Scafell next...