Once upon a time...

The mountains are different things to different people; they are a place for adventure, a place for solitude, for friendship or for learning. Many of these perspectives are relatively recent phenomenon, but the elemental nature of the mountain environment has gone hand in hand with the telling of stories for centuries.

It was this perspective that brought 10 curious individuals together at Craig Y Nos with Artist & Filmmaker Eleanor Flaherty for a day exploring the legends and stories that were inspired by the mountain environment, and in particular what role those stories still have to play in how we experience the mountains and wild places.

Storm Doris was threatening to make an appearance and Eleanor took advantage of the moody weather to set the scene with a tale of the Farmer’s Daughter, set on Carreg Goch, the hill we could see behind us, and the maze of crags that threatened benightment in stormy weather. No doubt, we were in the right place to hold this gathering!

Through the day we shared captivating stories, created new legends and celebrated old ones, but with a constant reference to their use as a powerful tool for engagement when taking groups into the upland environment. We explored what it is to share a story, (and when not to – especially very scary ones!)

The day went by quickly, and by the end of it I’m sure we could have done justice to a late night roaring fire, or a cold bivvy on Carreg Goch with each other’s tales to share in the darkness. Thanks to Eleanor and to MTA for putting on a workshop that focused on an important element of the mountain experience, and for giving us the chance to lose ourselves in myth and legend for a while – good for the soul!

Steve Adlard
MTA member

Story Telling workshop - 3rd February 2017