The Trek Ahead: From the Ariège Pyrénées to Mongolia

I wanted to write so much, to travel for longish periods, spending a month in major cities, surely made easier now that we lived on the same land mass. Two things combined put obstacles in my way. First, living so far south, almost in the mountains, getting out of the Ariège Pyrénées proved very expensive. The second thing was that the other person sharing this adventure loathed being away for more than a few days at a time. Health issues arose that put paid to the whole idea; it seemed more than unfair to ask Larry, who had, after all, been responsible for this adventure, to up sticks and go off traveling when he is quite happy here in the hills. Feel free now to ask why I jumped into all this. Because I am not afraid is the only answer I can offer.

I read that in the cycle of life (where we change every seven years) between the years 56 and 63 we often have a pressing need to create something new. It’s as if we want to make use of our lives to date, to celebrate who we are and what we have done. Perhaps even to leave something of this new self in the world by what we do, create or live.

Something twigged last year and the upshot is that I signed up for a Ten Day Horse Trek in Mongolia next June, in aid of the Charity "Help for Heroes". This challenge and the training I must do in advance, will take me well out of my comfort zone, but with a chance to visit a place I’ve only dreamed of seeing. I've ridden in Ireland of course and a little here in France. I am back in training, have lost excess kilos thanks to the French ‘Regime Dukan’. This trip will be long, over unknown territory, on a horse I will meet on the day we start. The terrain will involve crossing rivers and going via mountain passes, all on a Mongolian or Russian Saddle. Camping in tiny tents in the wilderness, since I absolutely loath being in a small space, will be testing.

Apart from getting fit for the trek I must raise the money necessary to take part. Obviously I could have written a modest check and sent it off to this splendid cause. Help for Heroes does what it says; it re-builds the men and women wounded in conflict. The success stories are astonishing; military people have the highest regard for the organization. But to simply write the check would have been to miss the point, both for those putting their lives on the line every day in conflicts and for my own personal challenge.

It is as if I need to do this for me as much as for the Heroes, some of whom have made donations to my charity page, seeming to appreciate the connection between my helping raise money for their comrades in action, while beginning another phase of my life. The age known here in France as ‘Le troisième âge’ is no age at all really; lots more to do.

http://www.bmycharity.com/JanesMongolianHorseTrek

Photos from Wikimedia Commons

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The Trek Ahead: From the Ariège Pyrénées to Mongolia

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