LORAINE (COW) WILSON
Many of you who are/were interested in treks in the Cretan mountains especially in Levka Ori (White Mountains) have met the name Loraine (Cow) Wilson. She is the authoress of probably the best book-guide to single Levka Ori but later, in next editions of her book, as well next mountain areas were added, and the title of the last (3rd) edition is "The High Mountains of Crete" with the subtitle "White Mountains, Mount Ida, and Lassithi".
This book – as soon as I bought it many years ago – happened almost immediately such as my “hiker’s bible”. At that time, I didn’t know these mountains too much (until now 'the mountains' are Levka Ori only), just a couple of treks were behind me, and even though I tried to find some details about hiking here very hard, too many information were not available. And this book – as we say – 'yanked out a thorn from my heel' !! Personally, I met Loraine in May 2012 on an old stony kalderimi between plains of Anopoli and Askifou, at a very remote site somewhere above the former village of Kali Lakkoi. Suddenly, a person wearing shorts and boots, with a shovel hat on the head, with trekking poles in hands and a smaller backpack on shoulders, behung with many 'importances' (see a link under this contribution) appeared in front (and a little bit above) me. Both of us were surprised somewhat, to meet somebody just here at such a remote place was really surprising. So, we said “Hi” to each other, then as well from where we come, and when we should tell our (given) names I blurted out “YOU MUST BE LORAINE WILSON!!”. She was VERY surprised why I guessed (right) her name (because she REALLY WAS Loraine Wilson). Of course, I had to explain it to her which was very easy for me because hardly some other 'female' can turn up at such remote and for orientation rather difficult site!! By the way – at that year, she was 72 and in her backpack were packed: a poncho from which a shelter can be made, an inflammable mattress and a thin sleeping bag, some meals in bags, a pair of clothing, a bottle with water, a mini-stove and the like things, in one word simply such important importances which women usually take for a walk. So, after the introduction we squatted on the ground just on the path, I took out a small bottle with some brandy for a gulp to talk better…and from this moment we have continued in contact. We gave email and post addresses to each other…and our friendship could start.
As we wrote and sent more and more emails to each other we have become friends. Later, we didn’t write just about mountains, treks, hiking, and about our plans in Crete, but also about life, politics, people, nature, etc. And at the end, she even did some corrections to my English contributions for this website. Concerning her guidebook – the second edition was published later I read very carefully, and as I had some observations, remarks, and suggestions concerning the text, I sent it to her – at that time. However, not only me but as well next three repeat-visitors to White Mountain (my email-friends) because at that time, she was “an elderly lady” yet who didn’t set off into the high mountains for a description of new treks, and as well some objects and realities (which she alluded to) were different or even disappeared, so we gave her our “wisdom” and corrected some incorrectnesses (me and next three friends mentioned – all of us she mentions in “Acknowledgement” of her book).
Loraine didn’t walk in mountains and write about them only, but she also marked some routes, for example just this one on which we met for the first time. So, therefore she walked not with a backpack on her shoulders only but sometimes towed also a small can of dye and a small paintbrush to made small teeny red spots (which – in addition – darken step by step) on rocks and stones. Seemingly an absurd matter, one may say, something so tiny, hardly bigger than a thumbnail, nobody is hardly able to find it in the sea of stones and rocks – but as soon as one gets accustomed to the way of her thinking, then such mini-spot on a single stone in the sea of others is able to disclose. I started later to name this trail (this one, on which we met for the first time and which she also had marked before it) like “The Loraine’s Trail” for myself. However, she was also bearing along a maxi-knife which’s part was a small saw to use for clearing some old footpaths and mule-tracks which were not in use (and thus not cleared as well) for a long time and were overgrown by bushes and sprouts. She removed and pruned it away for people who would like (according to her guidebook) to walk along these old routes (for example the old connection between the mountain village of Koustogherako and the lower village of Lívadas).
In Britain, she lived in a typical small brick row house in a village near the small town of Kendal in The Lake District. She was also very active in Britain’s charitable organization of OXFAM. She herself didn’t have a family, and 'to be instrumental' for other people in any style (e.g. just in the form of the guidebook which she takes as help for a person interested in Crete, not as a source of money), it became an important part of her life.
However, why I’m writing about all these – Loraine died about this year (2020) on the 1st of September. I feel very sad. I think we have become – step by step – very good friends, planed for the future a meeting somewhere again (of course, in Crete), she thought to visit the island of Gavdos again after several years from her last visit here and I gave her my experience (as I was here in10-2019). I wrote to her about my “Cretan” plans as well, for where I was going to head, which summit to reach, we discussed gears for hiking, what new has appeared on the market, etc. And nothing of it will happen henceforth… I feel very sad, she was a really dear person.
LORAINE COW WILSON (the large picture)
