My Dad, the Mountains and me ...4 precious days 40 years on

“Fill your life with experiences, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show”.??

I was reminded of this quote last week when I spent 4 precious days with my Dad in Swiss Alps.?So this is a short ‘story to tell’ as to why we were there and a reminder of what is really important in life.

Our first experience of the mountains was 40 years ago on a family holiday – Eurocamp in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland - a stunning valley in the foothills of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. Apart from the unhappy memory of our Ford Cortina breaking down, it was a wonderful holiday and Dad and I have both fallen in love with and been transfixed by mountains ever since. Mum and Dad have regularly returned to the same area on numerous enjoyable holidays with friends. They both love it. ??Mum, however, rapidly closing on her 86th birthday, ?has declared she has hung up her international travel shoes.....but Dad wanted one more peek at the mountains, to walk amongst them and experience their beauty. ??Mum loved the idea and was so supportive she said she would ?pay for the two of us to travel together on this special holiday.?

It was the first time I’d returned to this area of the Alps since that memorable family holiday 40 years ago. It was great to see those 3 mountains again, their names etched in my memory from a 12 year old boy.?

But what I enjoyed most was the un-interrupted time with Dad. ?Whether it was whilst we were walking, riding a cable car, having a beer or sharing a bottle of red we talked, we laughed and we cried like we never had before. I learnt more about him,?his career - he joined a company as an apprentice at 16 and worked for them his entire career before retiring at 64. (I thought to myself he’d have been an amazing boss – an amazing leader).?We talked?golf (remarkably he still has a handicap of 14), we talked football (he’s a Utd fan, I’m City – I enjoyed that one more than him). We talked a little politics and but they seemed utterly meaningless when surrounded in the mountains. We talked endlessly about the mountains and what they mean to us both, and often just sat in silence awestruck by their magnificence observing the weather systems rapidly evolving around them. ??But most wonderful of all we talked about family and Dad shared stories of Mum. Stories ?which showed how much they are still in love and still going strong having been married for 64 years.?

They say that everyday is a learning day, well I’ve just had the most amazing 4 days learning. I’ve learnt more about Dad (and Mum) in the last 4 days than the previous 52 years. ?Not only that they ?wonderful role models ( I knew that already) but more intricate details of their life that you don’t often get the time to share when we’re all busy leading jam packed lives.??What an amazing gift and one which I will treasure forever.

Mum – thank you x

Dad?- thank you x

I enjoyed it so much I’m keen we go again next year, in fact every year whilst we can, you never know, but we may even convince Mum her international travel retirement was premature.. I’m definitely paying as its the best investment ever.