Calderdale Way Walks
An Old Man's Tale
About the Calderdale Way Walk
You can have a brush with settlements of antiquity with exotic handles borrowed
from ancient texts and the Norse. Moments to wallow in the rich array of flora and
fauna. Here is an eclectic mix of geology, theology, anthropology and rambling daydreams
where human and natural history cross paths. You can pick up history as you go along.
Ancient trekkers and workers leave their mark, littered with memories and spirit
for you to clutch in reliving your own life course.
This singular pastime is not a race or a sprint. You will need to relish in solitude
and the breath of humanity and environment. There is a metaphor for the proper way
yet the paths to enlightenment need to be searched elsewhere. As we tramp along
we deconstruct a lifetime as well as the Way. Here the present collides with the
past to fuse with the continuum for the future.
We know these walkabouts are not rites of passage in the wilderness for adolescent
indigenous Australians. For ourselves we need to walk this land into existence.
Navigating by dreaming tracks tracing the song lines of our ancestors. All land
is sacred: all land is my land.
The Calderdale Way was completed in stages. Each full day takes account of the vagaries
of transport, time elements and the frailties of the older bodied. It remains a
challenge even when armed with your guides, ordnance survey and compass. We have
identified places where you could easily drift in wayward wandering off piste.
We have tried to eliminate deficiencies and ambiguities in other guides. I am relaxed
about any defects. It is best to find your own way. Avoiding mistakes could be an
inhibition, an unnecessary limit on the horizon. We learned more from getting lost
than sailing through without hindrance. Learning most when compelled into a discourse
with nature, a more profound encounter than detached proficiency.