Back to Skye, and vipers

Or how to achieve levitation ....

Speaking of human unassisted flight, and dangerous snakes...

(Please ignore this post if you are not interested in flying, or poisonous snakes)...

I once encountered a big stripey adder (aka a viper) on a footpath in South Skye, on a very long days trek, near Loch Coruisk. ( Don't worry if you haven't been there, very few people go that way).

I was plodding along on the narrow path through the heather, as one does, and I was precisely 0.776 seconds from planting my foot directly on it when enlightenment struck me.

The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy has some great advice about levitation.

This states that gravity is merely a limitation of your own feeble imagination: transcendence and enlightenment comes from superior and focused thoughts, such as fear of imminent death.

According to the Guide, the main thing that flying requires is the ability to throw yourself at the ground and miss. It says to throw yourself forward with all your weight and "the willingness not to mind that it's going to hurt", however it will surely hurt if you fail to miss the ground. The difficulty is in missing the ground, and doing so accidentally, as "deliberately intending to miss the ground" does not work.

“You have to have your attention suddenly distracted by something else then you're halfway there, so that you are no longer thinking about falling, or about the ground, or about how much it's going to hurt if you fail to miss it.”—The Guide[src]

Flying is notoriously difficult, which is why the majority of people fail and become disillusioned with this particular sport. However, flying can be accomplished if you find yourself distracted at the crucial moment of missing the ground, by things such as "a bomb going off in your vicinity", or "suddenly spotting an extremely rare species of beetle crawling along a nearby twig".

If you find yourself missing the ground completely and "bobbing just a few inches above the ground in what might seem to be a slightly foolish manner", then this is the moment that requires great concentration. The Guide says to "ignore all considerations of your own weight" and to "simply let yourself waft higher" as you float above the ground.

My single step took me through a flying crescent that most long-jumpers would have been proud of...

I was mightily miffed when I read later in the Encyclopaedia Britannica that there are no vipers north of Glasgow: this is a downright lie. However, other sources state this:
”The adder (Vipera berus) is quite fascinating as it holds the title of being the most northerly member of the viper family! Here’s a bit more about its northern range in the UK:

1. Geographical Distribution:

   • Adders are found throughout Britain, from the south coast of England all the way up to the northern regions of Scotland. They are particularly prevalent in areas with suitable habitats.

2. Habitat Preferences:

   • They thrive in open habitats such as:

     • Heathland

     • Moorland

     • Woodland edges

   • These environments provide the right conditions for basking and hunting.

3. Northernmost Locations:

   • In the UK, adders are commonly spotted in Scotland, especially in the Highlands and Islands. They are known to be the only venomous snake in the British Isles, but they are generally shy and rarely pose a threat to humans.

4. Population Variability:

   • Their distribution can be somewhat patchy, with a higher population density in southern England compared to the north. They are less common in the Midlands.