You may have noticed for a short time I had changed my blog URL to 'ethans exploits' rather than 'fell feet'. I was a bit worried about calling my Blog URL 'fellfeet' as I thought it was becoming irrelevant, as I wanted to write about my climbing and running just as much. I was also concerned that when I go climbing and mountaineering in other countries, the term 'fell' is a typically English term for hill. In fact it is a bit of a strange term isn't it?
Many English outdoorsy types would call smaller hills a 'hill' and larger hills a 'fell'. Then you get people who say that hills in Britain are to small to be called a 'mountain' even though there is not a specific height where a 'hill' becomes a 'mountain'. On the total opposite end of the spectrum you get people who would give all 'mountains' the term 'hill' even Everest.
For a time I wondered what to call the hills in Britain. Speaking to some people I would sometimes feel I was over exaggerating if I called a British hill a 'mountain'. Yet on the other hand the experiences I have had, in the hills of Britain (mostly in England), have never seemed small or insignificant. I think there becomes a point when a British hillwalker or runner starts to lose interest in the height of the hill they stand on. I know I am not as fussed anymore. When I stand on the summit of a mountain in the Lake District, I don't think "Well how high's this one then". I don't get the map out just to see what the altitude is. I look at the views and I see the distant peaks. I name the fells I know and love and get pleasure in knowing that there are still plenty, sitting above or below where I am standing, that I do not know and have yet to summit. And sometimes I'm overwhelmed simply by the silence. Where else in this country can you hear absolutely nothing at all other than the sound of the wind and your own breath? It makes me feel like an accomplished human being. No matter what height the summit is I stand on I know that there are plenty of people my age and older, sitting at ground level in a sofa playing on a games console or watching TV. I think that is the pleasure of the British hills. Yes, it's true, by international standards our mountains are nowhere near the biggest. I look at some mountains in parts of the world, like ones in the Himalayas and the Alps and they scream the word "challenge" at me even just by looking at the photographs. Perhaps, to the eyes of a sherpa or an alpine guide, a Lake District fell shows little challenge. Our typical mountain is round and covered in grass and bracken, while their mountains are pointy and covered in ice, snow and rock. But there is certainly at lot of challenge to be had in the hills of Britain, it sometimes just has to be discovered. The challenge can be just as big to one person, who is walking up one hill on a clear day, to someone else who is running over many tops in a complete whiteout. And even if sometimes a small walk in the hills doesn't seem particularly energetic, is it ever without adventure?
There is something for everyone in the hills of Britain. And I call them "fells". This isn't because I think they are too small to be called a "mountain" or because they're too big to be called a "hill", it's because they are unique and they deserve their own name. So I decided there is no reason at all not to call my blog address 'fell feet'. And if I am in a different country and if the question somehow pops up "why did you call your blog 'fellfeet'?" Then I shall say "because that is what the mountains in England are called and they're where I found my feet for adventure."
Thanks for reading,
Ethan
P.S it did also occur to me that when 'Ethan's Exploits' is written as one "ethansexploits" it could well be interpreted as 'Ethan Sexploits". I looked the term 'sexploit' up in a dictionary and here is what I found...........
Sexploitation
noun informalthe commercial exploitation of sex, sexual attractiveness, or sexually explicit material.
Arguably the wrong word to use in the address of a blog about outdoor activities?
Many English outdoorsy types would call smaller hills a 'hill' and larger hills a 'fell'. Then you get people who say that hills in Britain are to small to be called a 'mountain' even though there is not a specific height where a 'hill' becomes a 'mountain'. On the total opposite end of the spectrum you get people who would give all 'mountains' the term 'hill' even Everest.
For a time I wondered what to call the hills in Britain. Speaking to some people I would sometimes feel I was over exaggerating if I called a British hill a 'mountain'. Yet on the other hand the experiences I have had, in the hills of Britain (mostly in England), have never seemed small or insignificant. I think there becomes a point when a British hillwalker or runner starts to lose interest in the height of the hill they stand on. I know I am not as fussed anymore. When I stand on the summit of a mountain in the Lake District, I don't think "Well how high's this one then". I don't get the map out just to see what the altitude is. I look at the views and I see the distant peaks. I name the fells I know and love and get pleasure in knowing that there are still plenty, sitting above or below where I am standing, that I do not know and have yet to summit. And sometimes I'm overwhelmed simply by the silence. Where else in this country can you hear absolutely nothing at all other than the sound of the wind and your own breath? It makes me feel like an accomplished human being. No matter what height the summit is I stand on I know that there are plenty of people my age and older, sitting at ground level in a sofa playing on a games console or watching TV. I think that is the pleasure of the British hills. Yes, it's true, by international standards our mountains are nowhere near the biggest. I look at some mountains in parts of the world, like ones in the Himalayas and the Alps and they scream the word "challenge" at me even just by looking at the photographs. Perhaps, to the eyes of a sherpa or an alpine guide, a Lake District fell shows little challenge. Our typical mountain is round and covered in grass and bracken, while their mountains are pointy and covered in ice, snow and rock. But there is certainly at lot of challenge to be had in the hills of Britain, it sometimes just has to be discovered. The challenge can be just as big to one person, who is walking up one hill on a clear day, to someone else who is running over many tops in a complete whiteout. And even if sometimes a small walk in the hills doesn't seem particularly energetic, is it ever without adventure?
There is something for everyone in the hills of Britain. And I call them "fells". This isn't because I think they are too small to be called a "mountain" or because they're too big to be called a "hill", it's because they are unique and they deserve their own name. So I decided there is no reason at all not to call my blog address 'fell feet'. And if I am in a different country and if the question somehow pops up "why did you call your blog 'fellfeet'?" Then I shall say "because that is what the mountains in England are called and they're where I found my feet for adventure."
Thanks for reading,
Ethan
P.S it did also occur to me that when 'Ethan's Exploits' is written as one "ethansexploits" it could well be interpreted as 'Ethan Sexploits". I looked the term 'sexploit' up in a dictionary and here is what I found...........
Sexploitation
noun informalthe commercial exploitation of sex, sexual attractiveness, or sexually explicit material.
Arguably the wrong word to use in the address of a blog about outdoor activities?
4 comments:
Agreed. No need to change the name. Apart from anything, it would lose you readers, just as changing a phone number or email address will lose the contacts who are too busy to activate the changes.
Have fun in the hills this summer, Ethan, and enjoy your writing, whatever the subject
Hi Ethan, Good to see that you are still blogging and finding time to continue enjoying the 'outdoors'. Any plans for the Summer? Take care Andy
Hi Andy, I'll hopefully be doing some more climbing outdoors this summer, as well as switzerland of course.
Thanks for commenting.
Ethan, Hope the Swiss version of Mountain Stew is up to the Cantabrian standards and portion size. Take care Andy
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