Things you have to do before you die
Have you seen the latest fad in books….Things you must do books, before you die or before you are 40 or before you have your porridge in the morning!!
Talk about bossy! Why not Some things you may like to try if you have time? Some places I have enjoyed visiting…… Maybe they wouldn’t sell?
Well maybe you have a personal list yourself but haven’t thought about publishing it. I guess we all do. How many people live in Edinburgh and say every summer I really should go to the Tattoo? Or in Inverness and have never been on a boat on Loch Ness?…..the shame!!
Fi on the chain walk
So since living in Crail I have had a list of things to do which are very specific to the area. Hit the green and stay on it at The Rockies at Anstruther, get invited to the exclusive Crail Cookery Club and complete the chain walk at Elie. OK so there are maybe a few others on the list but this was meant to be a short blog entry! Which of those three have I not achieved?
The chain walk at Elie is a fun scramble along the coves and cliffs just West of the golf course. It is part of the Fife Coastal Path with a high alternative avoiding this fun via ferrata.
It always seemed that the tide was wrong or the timing wrong when I was along on Elie to complete this little section of the FCP that I had’t walked. After six years it became one of things that I avoided in conversation, my dirty little secret! OK so I havent played the Old Course, too expensive, people agree. Never been out to the Isle of May, takes up a whole day, people frown but nod….Never done the chain walk well I had stopped admitting it!
Smile?
You may be asking why? Surely a big boy like me couldn’t be scared of a few wee cliffs? NO NO NO! Well I am not great on exposed ridges or narrow paths with a good drop thats for sure but I had just never done it!
So a few weeks ago my personal guide got me motivated, checked the tides and bus times, made sure I was fed, watered and had taken my medication! The cat had been fed and the kids were with their Granny! OK everything was sorted.
Great fun! Why had I never made the time? After a few scrambling tips we were off. I soon realised that brute strength could be used…result,as is often the case in my sporting endeavours the lack of skill was masked by a desire and raw physicality! (hanging on)
We made our way along going against the traffic, my guide had done this before and sussed out the best route! I was a bit miffed to find groups of pensioners in unsuitable shoes and teenage girls being dragged along by adventurous fathers managing to look sulky and uninterested. OK so maybe when I tackle the Eiger I will be in the presence of elite climbers….or is that in my next life?
Walk the chain walk and stay at Caiplie House