I spent a good deal of time this morning (when I wasn’t kneading bread and watering the garden, reading the book I downloaded about the Swiss Alpine Pass Trail: 320 kilometres (or is it 360?), 16 passes and over 20,000 metres elevation gain done in 18 stages.

I’ve been wanting to do a long walk. This is a long walk.

Three weeks counting travel time.

From one end to the other.

And this photo is taken on one of the passes the trail climbs over – the Seffinenfurgge – one of the two scary ones apparently. But I’ve done it and besides, the Kootenays have upped the ante for scary so all is good.

No tent. No sleeping bag. No food to carry except lunch. Each stage ends in a village – or near enough that there will be a hut or hostel handy. And wifi I expect.

I am at 80% certainty that I shall do it – which would mean booking quickly because I would want to leave in about 9 – 10 days.

I think it will be good for me. And when I hesitate because of monetary and other considerations, I ask myself, “If not now, when?”

The future has never been more uncertain – not just for me but for the planet. If the time has ever been right for grabbing life by the throat and giving it a shake, this is it.