Climbing The Mountains And Why Do People Do It?
Climbing The Mountains And Why Do People Do It?
Hello Steemians! On this blog post, I want to talk about why some of us love the mountains so much.
Why do people climb the mountains? Are we really just crazy or is it something up there that makes taking a risk worth it? This is such a hard question to answer because it's hard to explain why do we do it. It is kind of like explaining how the music feels like to a deaf person.
So many times I get asked the question: »What do you get from climbing all of those mountains? Nothing. We are not called the conquerors of the useless for no reason. For someone who doesn't like mountaineering, climbing or mountains overall, might the best explanation be a quote from a movie Harry Potter: "If you have to ask, you'll never know. If you know, you need only ask."
But let's try to explaint it anyway. Climbing a mountain represents a challenge. If you complete it, you are a winner, and if you don't, you can try again next time. There are no losers. But seriously, what do you get for reaching the summit? You get an amazing view of the valleys, rivers, towns, villages, glaciers, etc. Also, you gain a whole another perspective on the world and most importantly on life.
"You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen." (Rene Daumal)
When you start pushing yourself for the extreme, that's when you start to feel most alive. When you have faced your own mortality, that's when everything tastes better. The air feels phenomenal, the water tastes sweeter, you feel complete and you start to appreciate the little things in life. And this is why we do it. We don't indulge on adrenaline, but on a feeling of accomplishing the challenges, living in the moment and on surviving.
But if you don't respect your limits and you push yourself too far out of your comfort zone, that's when accidents happen. In the mountains, most accidents are caused by man and I think this fact speaks for itself.
"I think, every time I'm on the mountain, I'm just so thankful to be there." (Chloe Kim)
However, the mountains aren't that dangerous, if you know what you're doing, but they are far from forgiving. Dangers in the mountains are not only external, like avalanches, falling rocks, and storms. They are also internal, like hypothermia, dehydration, panic attacks and altitude sickness. That's where the proper equipment, planning and checking the weather forecast come into play. Also, a good physical fitness and condition are a must. By being properly prepared you can avoid 90% of dangers, the other 10% are in God's hands.
To end things on a positive note. I think the mountains are a beautiful and amazing world that everyone should experience. Although we might not get anything physical from going up there, but we leave full of positive energy and with good memories. Try it! It's totally worth the struggle.
I'd love to read your opinion on hiking, mountaineering, climbing and why do people actually do it? Do you agree or disagree with me?
If you have any suggestions on what I should write next, leave a comment below.
Don't forget to follow @mrakicaljaz and resteem this post if you like it.
Wishing you all the best