Oct 13, 2026 · 16 min · 10 segments
**Discovering Dro Mendrel with Wild and Wonderful!** Join us on a journey to Dro Mendrel in this episode of Local Wonders, a series under Wild and Wonderful. From beautiful mountain views to the…
A few weeks ago, I hiked to Drumundal with eight friends.
One of them was my friend's father, and we began our walk around eight in the morning.
When we began our journey, it was cold in that quite early way, the kind that settles in your fingers and ears before the day fully wakes up.
But once we started moving, step by step, my body slowly warmed up.
It was slanted, cemented and it looked almost friendly.
It looked like the kind of pathway that we would run and play on.
And I remember thinking that this didn't feel real yet.
But that feeling didn't last long.
Not long after, my breathing grew heavy.
My steps slowed down.
A group of men and women passed us on the trail heading towards the monastery for construction work.
They carried heavy tools on their backs, moving steadily, quietly, and faster than me.
I felt embarrassed.
I tried not to stop because I didn't want to be the one holding everyone back.
When we spoke to them, they were surprised to learn that we were walking all the way to Dromundal.
Most people, they said, started much earlier in the morning.
Hearing that, doubt crept in.
I wondered if we had begun too late or if I simply wasn't ready for this hike at all.
As the path rose higher, the walk slowly stopped feeling like a choice and started feeling like a test.
I was at the back of the group with my friend Chimmy.
A few weeks ago, I hiked to Drumundal with eight friends.
One of them was my friend's father, and we began our walk around eight in the morning.
When we began our journey, it was cold in that quite early way, the kind that settles in your fingers and ears before the day fully wakes up.
But once we started moving, step by step, my body slowly warmed up.
It was slanted, cemented and it looked almost friendly.
It looked like the kind of pathway that we would run and play on.
And I remember thinking that this didn't feel real yet.
But that feeling didn't last long.
Not long after, my breathing grew heavy.
My steps slowed down.
A group of men and women passed us on the trail heading towards the monastery for construction work.
They carried heavy tools on their backs, moving steadily, quietly, and faster than me.
I felt embarrassed.
I tried not to stop because I didn't want to be the one holding everyone back.
When we spoke to them, they were surprised to learn that we were walking all the way to Dromundal.
Most people, they said, started much earlier in the morning.
Hearing that, doubt crept in.
I wondered if we had begun too late or if I simply wasn't ready for this hike at all.
As the path rose higher, the walk slowly stopped feeling like a choice and started feeling like a test.
I was at the back of the group with my friend Chimmy.
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