Why do I climb? I’m asked this question all the time and I don’t think I’ve ever answered it the same way twice. It’s not that I don’t know why I climb, but that there are so many reasons why I enjoy climbing that if I told you about all of them we’d be standing there for hours and you’d be bored to death. But here, in no particular order, are 10 of the reasons that I climb:
- The views in the mountains are always breathtaking.
- I grew up climbing with my dad and my earliest friends. I like those memories.
- Achievement feels good, physical challenge feels good.
- Friendship and fellowship forged climbing is deep and very rewarding.
- I get to visit incredible places around the world and meet wonderful people.
- Life is simple when you’re climbing. Stay safe, find camp, eat, drink and repeat.
- Climbing is psychologically renewing and deeply personal for me.
- Ego – sometimes you have to be honest and just admit that you want to tell people you’ve climbed “that”.
- After a lifetime of climbing I have a real sense of belonging to the “climbing community”.
- Because it’s there! (You knew I was going to get that in here somewhere. Mallory rocks!)
High Altitude Expeditions will be leading Everest climbing expeditions in April of 2014. For more information, please view Mt. Everest Southside 2014 Expedition or the Mt. Everest Basecamp Trek 2014. If you have specific questions or simply want to chat about climbing, email us or contact us. We’d love to hear what you’re thinking.