🏔️ on the human urge to climb mountains.

read time: 4 minutes

This quote has been stuck in my head since the day I first read it.

I didn’t grow up in the mountains.

In fact, quite the opposite. My childhood home was far on the other side of Canada, on a tiny little island.

Quaint, small-town Prince Edward Island. Beautiful in its own way… but certainly not wild or rugged.

It wasn’t til I moved to British Columbia that I truly began to understand the pull of the mountains.

There’s something deep down at the core of human nature that looks at a big mountain and wonders what it would be like to stand on top of it.

Just like George Mallory said, when asked why he wanted to risk it all to climb Everest…

“Because it is there.”

The very existence of these mountains is a challenge. Can you climb it? How fast can you climb it? Can you climb it solo? Without ropes? Without oxygen?

You can totally lose this instinct, the more you ignore it.

But if you cultivate it, and you give in to that mysterious pull… you’ll understand exactly what John Muir was talking about.

Going to the mountains is like going home, and wildness is a necessity.

Without further ado, here are three reasons why you should get out and go climb mountains.

You get out exactly what you put in.

Climbing mountains is the greatest metaphor for life.

There are no shortcuts to the summit.

Not fit enough? You’ll burn out your muscles before you know it.

Not mentally prepared? Your brain will convince you it’s out of your league.

Not the right gear? You’ll freeze, or boil, or both.

Not the right partner? You’ll quickly realize the value of choosing your friends wisely.

No navigation plans? You’ll get lost before you even have the chance to be tired.

Everything the mountain throws at you is a challenge to solve.

Every step counts… you can’t skip anything, or you just won’t make it.

Climbing mountains is the perfect metaphor for life.

What does the good life look like?

Fit body, strong mind. Prepared for anything, with true friends by your side. Confident in where you’re going, and how you’ll get there.

Learn how to climb, and you’ll learn how to live.

You appreciate the small luxuries more.

The life of a mountaineer is rarely a life of comfort.

Sleepless nights, rationed food, extreme temps. Thirst, hunger, injury, and soreness.

All are commonplace in the mountains.

And yet, you’ll never know the meaning of true bliss until you wrap yourself in your sleeping bag at the end of a long day in the hills, and drift off to sleep under a starry sky.

Learning how to endure real discomfort gives you a much greater appreciation for the small things in life - that we often take for granted at sea level.

My friends and I always joke that food tastes better at elevation… but there’s real truth to it. Grinding for hours on end up steep slopes, and then finally breaking open that pack of wine gums… there’s nothing like it.

We live in a world that does all it can to appease our every urge.

Heated seats, fast food, everything on-demand.

We’ve dulled our appreciation for some of the best things in life - the simple pleasures.

Go climb mountains, and re-learn what it means to be truly satisfied.

You’ll forge deep friendships with real people.

You see, I think climbing isn’t really about the mountains themselves.

It’s about the people.

The no-sleep missions. The chilly nights. The alpine sunsets that seem to never end.

The overwhelming feeling of accomplishment after a bucket-list climb. The misery of a failed mission, and the long trudge back to the car.

Shared experiences in the mountains will bond you to a friend like nothing else.

Your conversations are unhindered by the incessant pinging of your phone.

No deadlines, no missed calls, no traffic jams.

Just you, your partner, and the mountain.

You’ll learn how to deal with stress, and conflict. You’ll learn what it’s like to suck up your ego, and do what’s best for the team.

You’ll learn the type of people you don’t want to be around, and you’ll learn who it is that you’d die to have on your side.

Most of all, you’ll learn what it’s like to put your life into the hands of another.

But don’t take my word for it.

Go climb a mountain.

Plan a trip. Find a partner. Pack your bags. Start the climb. Push yourself. Learn where your limits are. Push them, just a little bit.

And if you’re lucky, you’ll summit. If not, you’ll be back for it next time.

Maybe it won’t change your life… but it sure changed mine.

There’s nothing to lose.

Just go do it.

- Lukas