A Treacherous Walk

[Catleigh5]

This is a writing prompt given to me by Theta Sigma.

So, this is the story about why I'm currently hanging from a tree by my ankles...

It's Monday 24th April 2017. The day had begun horribly and ever since it progressed to become even worse than the very same morning. I had awoken in the Youth Hostel in Ullapool, North Western Scotland. The bedroom, as well as the whole building was freezing despite the heating being on at full blast. Dressing in three layers of legging, five layers of t-shirts, three pairs of socks, I managed to get ready for the day ahead where I would be learning to geologically map in the Ullapool River Valley. Collecting my waterproofs and rucksack, I head downstairs for breakfast.

I sit next to the window for my breakfast which consists of Tesco's own brand of cornflakes which are bland. As the two weeks previous progressed, a taste for coffee had developed and had earned it's right to be taken out loyally on my days out around the North Western Scottish Highlands. As I glanced out of the window, I noticed the low fog which had came over the Loch from the Outer Hebrides Islands. The harbour was bustling with lorries, cars and pedestrians, all waiting for the ferry which would take them the small way across the sea to the islands which could not be seen through the mist. The grey clouds never lightened and the fog lifted only slightly to show off the looming mountains which had developed snow caps overnight. The snow had been coming in for days now, and it had finally fallen upon Ullapool. This meant my university friends and I would have to be careful today.

After breakfast, the full group of us all headed out, and up the road by mini-vans to get to the place where would geologically map. A geological map shows the different rock units which cover a certain area, and how they can change over a small or long distance. It was my job today to find the different rock units, and find the boundaries of where two different rock types would meet.

Within an hour, myself and my mapping partner, David, had managed to walk three miles to the other side of the valley where we would begin to map. David is a tall and slim person, with short black hair which he straightens every day, despite knowing it will only get messy and ruined in the field. He was wearing beige waterproof trousers and a thick thermal sweater, a high-vis jacket placed over the top so I could see him if he managed to stray too far from my side.

The walk was treacherous as we had to climb over fences and work our way through bogs. As if that wasn't hard enough, the rain came down torrential. Nevertheless, we worked through it as we had done for the previous days. Then came the snow. It wasn't just a light flurry of flakes, the magical experience. No, this was the thick fast sequence of a whiteout blizzard.
"Do we head back?" I would ask David after a small while, a little anxious as the snow did not seem to stop, only get heavier. David would ponder, not sure of the answer until we both heard the whistle.
"I guess we do!" He grinned at me before he turned, leading the way back towards the mini-vans. The walk was a lot slower going back compared to going forward. Neither of us could see where were going. Had I known where I was going, I would have seen the rocky ledge I was about to walk off, and therefore would have turned to find another route...

...Instead, I didn't see the ledge and I continued to walk straight off it. No sound escaped my lips, although my breath did catch in my throat. I tumbled down and landed, but it took me a few moments to get my bearings. David was laughing above me, saying he was taking photos as I hung there, upside down on an old oak tree.

So, this is the story of why I am currently hanging from a tree by my ankles...


There you go. I hope you enjoy my first writing experience on E :)