Rain soaked, covered in mud, the shoes filled with ice cold mountain water, the legs hurt, the lungs make strange noises….but it’s totally worth it! Because up here there’s nobody else. It’s only you, the rain, the wind, the sun and the odd double rainbow!

I just survived the latest downpour in my quest to concur Mullacor Mountain – one of the easier hikes in the Wicklow Mountains National Park – in dismay I look at those heavy rain clouds which made my last half an hour so miserable.

But then, suddenly and certainly out of nowhere, the sun is back! In fact, at the exact place where only minutes ago I was cursing mother nature, now a glowing stream of vibrant colours  forms the most stunning double rainbow.

It’s those moments that are reward for the one who makes the effort to go out into the wild, to explore what the world around us feels and tastes.

At the same time it makes me realise – quite literally – that day in day out I’m actually just sitting in front of a brightly glowing screen and start losing a sense for the real world out there.

So, memo to myself: go out more often! Let’s try this right away…….