A few months ago, some very good friends of my wife and I suggested a fun activity for us to do: a hike in our beloved English countryside. We’d take the dogs, stay in a cosy B&B, work some pubs in along the route. A relaxing weekend, and a very rare opportunity to get back to nature. We wholeheartedly accepted the proposition.

For a while, this idea was put to the back of our minds. However, our friends soon came back with a date, the end of September, and again, we agreed without hesitation. We faltered slightly, however, when they cheerfully talked about the route, which would in all be about 22 miles. No matter, surrounded by all the beautiful scenery of the Lake District, no doubt we wouldn’t care how long the route was. What’s more, we regularly take our dog for walks, so yes, we were feeling fairly prepared.

Our children, however, three Gold Duke of Edinburgh finishers, laughed a little too loudly when we told them of our plans. We ignored their scorn, and continued our training, taking the dog for long rambles at the weekend. It was a bit of a shock for us when our fellow walkers cheerfully sent us a Whatsapp announcing they’d just been for a two-week long walking holiday with their dog. Meanwhile, our dog was fast asleep for the rest of the day having walked for three hours, and to be honest, I was also mimicking our dog.

The week before the trip, we had a team meeting to discuss the details of the walk. By the sound of it, a nice weekend ramble would not be quite as gentle as previously imagined. In fact, the route included the edge of Scafell Pike and Esk Pike, Bowfell and Lingmell. As we cheerfully waved goodnight to our team members, we couldn’t help but wonder what we’d signed up to.

During the weekend, we learned several things; firstly, that the Lake District truly displays some of the most phenomenal scenery in our country. Secondly, if you’re going to go for a hike, then the idea alone has tempted fate and the weather will fire at you with everything in its arsenal. And finally, the need for a great guide and mentor – thank goodness we had one!

It was a tough weekend, no doubt, but it was also immensely rewarding, and enjoyable at times (including sharing a rather small space with a wet dog). It was largely thanks to our friends, who were much more experienced than ourselves, who offered expertise and raised morale, that it was such an enjoyable weekend. Although it was a challenge, it was also great fun, and by the end of the weekend we felt a real sense of achievement. We might leave it a few months before we start organising the next hiking trip though.

We face challenges such as this in all aspects of life, including our career. Though it may be an exciting prospect that we are faced with it, it can also come with difficulties which we must also overcome, but when we do, the results are inevitably all that we hoped for. We here at ABPM are on hand with over 20 years of experience to assist you in facing these challenges to guide and mentor.

Rej Abraham Managing Director