Seeking Connection (and bilberries) in the woods with Vivobarefoot

Rain patters softly in the canopy as we wind up the ever darkening track into the woods. Stones crunch and then fall silent as we move onto the carpet of moss that yields beneath our feet as we sink into each footstep. We ford a small beck, each of us adopting a different style: Emma hops from rock to rock; I walk slowly through the water, noticing the change in temperature in my toes as I go; Benji splashes across with reckless abandon, paying no mind to fact that the tops of his boots will be completely engulfed. There is a thickness to the air and a solidity to the darkness, but it is not oppressive; it feels as if we have crossed the threshold into another realm, the outside world obscured from view and thought by wood and leaf.

Soon we are all stooped low to the ground. The hunt begins. At first we are disappointed; it doesn’t look good. It’s the same every year. It takes a while but eventually eyes and attitude adjust and tiny treasures begin to reveal themselves. Just one bilberry at first, a deep purple jewel hidden under a fold of green - it goes straight in the mouth - and then another nearby, and another until you are walking a random trail through the woods, joining the dots from one bilberry to the next. If you try too hard, you will likely be disappointed; over time I have come to suspect that the woods can sense intent. Better to be calm and unhurried, let your eyes wander, notice the details: tiny serrations on leaf margins; water droplets shimmering like beads of glass; impossibly thin threads of spider silk suspended between individual plants. Soon you will settle in and your basket will fill itself.

We have hunted for bilberries every year since Benji was born. Before even. First on the sandy heaths of Sussex, and now in the wooded valleys of the Lake District. It’s a kind of tradition I guess, and marks a turning point in the season, but more than that, it’s just a really fun way of spending time outside, connecting with the land. We are hoping for a harvest of fruit, enough to add to our breakfast pancakes the following morning, but in truth it doesn’t matter; it’s the process that counts, being in the woods with our faces close to the ground, amongst the connections and interactions that make woodlands so magical. A few berries just sweeten the deal, especially for an 8 year old.

This was our first outing in our new hiking boots too: the Vivobarefoot Tracker Forest ESC. We are new to barefoot shoes but we’ve been curious for a while; many of our similarly outdoorsy friends have switched from traditional clunky hikers to Vivos and never gone back. A massive part of spending time outdoors for us is in connecting to the landscape and to Nature as a whole so we were intrigued to learn how wearing boots that let us feel the earth beneath our feet affected our experience in the woods and beyond. To be honest it was a little strange at first, disconcerting almost - a feeling of nakedness. You can scrunch up your toes and feel the empty space between them as they splay apart again. There is caution in each step as you learn to navigate the trail in a new way. Soon though, it starts to feel normal, natural I suppose. A lightness of foot follows. I feel the urge to hop from one mossy rock to the next like an elf. Perhaps it’s just because we listened to the Lord of the Rings audio book in the car on the way. There’s something slightly elvish about the way they look too, which I didn’t think I’d like, but do.

To me, Nature connection is a state of mind. A way of living, being and thinking that takes practice, dedication even. It is first to notice and then to feel. Maybe these boots won’t make you automatically connected to Nature, but if they help you notice and feel then that has to be a good thing.

What it is about the woods that draws us in so readily? Connections abound in all landscapes, and in all of Nature - nothing exists in isolation - but it’s in the woods where connections and interactions are so plain to see. Interplay between light and tree, plant and seed, mycelium and root, life and death, earth and cosmos; it’s all there playing out right before our eyes. If you’re looking for connection, the woods are a good place to start.

After clambering down a couple of steep banks and finding a particularly bountiful patch, we have enough berries for our needs and our hands are stained purple. The rain falls heavy, although here under the canopy of oak trees we are sheltered somewhat and rain drips down in sporadic fat drops. Eventually, we emerge out of the woods, tongues tinged with blue, a basket full of berries plus lots of little moments of connection to treasure. Looks like we will get our pancake breakfast after all…

Massive thanks to Vivobarefoot for sending us the Forest ESC Trackers to try out! We also got a pair of Tracker AT Kids boots for Benji who says they make him feel like a ninja which I think is a good review…