Spring has arrived, at last, and I am witnessing the shift of season in the southern French Alps. As the snow has melted, I have gone for a few hikes in this changing landscape. But finding the right words to capture the essence of spring is difficult, partly because it is such a sensory experience. I have been reminded of my teenage self walking up Helvellyn in the mid-80s, desperate to write a poem about the feeling of ascent, achievement, and the power of nature. I kept tr