Ain't no mountain high enough

A friend of mine told me about this journal called "wondergimp's applachian trail journey 2000" and as I was reading it, I got to thinking - what drives the human race to conquer nature, overcome extremely hazardous conditions, face the wrath of the skies and yet climb to the summit of Mt.Everest (29,035 ft) or Mt.Kilimanjaro(19,335 ft), walk the Appalachian trail from Georgia to Maine (2000+ miles), raft down the Colorado river flowing through the Grand Canyon or chase tornadoes.

Is it just an adrenaline rush by defying nature and emerging triumphant or a feeling of empowerment? What exactly is the motivation for facing an uphill battle, fighting the forces of nature, fatigue, cuts and bruises, rationed food and water, running into wildlife, avalanches or forceful rapids? A lesser mortal would be sorely tempted to give up and turn back to the comfort and safe haven of the "civilized" world. Sacrificing the comforts we all seem to take for granted like the warm indoors, clean sheets and towels, food just a phone call away (for those who dont like cooking much :>), just lazing on the couch watching tv, talking to friends on the phone, hot showers - what must be going through the minds of these trekkers, hikers, adventurers, thrill seekers?

What drives them to defy all the odds, confront their innermost fears and complete their ardous journeys? Is it an ordeal worth undertaking or is it a life altering experience that makes existence worthwhile? Does it make people feel more alive or are they just setting out to prove something to themselves and see how far they can push themselves mentally as well as physically? Is it a case of facing perils and living another day to tell the tale?

Does someone wake up one fine day and just decide - alright, so today I have made up my mind to climb the highest mountain in the world. Is it that simple? Getting out of a mundane existence and jolting the heck out of life by making a decision like that can surely be one way of feeling alive I guess. A friend of mine decided he wanted to just travel around the world, take a couple years off from work and is right now in Europe, experiencing life, enriching it with so many new adventures. Given he didnt decide to climb Mt.Everest or hike the A.T but hey, he is living what a lot of us just dream about or talk about doing over coffee or dinner. He is not a wannabe anymore, he is actually doing what some of us think about but are ready to find excuses for not getting out of the soft cushy spot we have dug ourselves into.

Ever since I read 'Into thin air' which is a first hand account of the 1996 Mt.Everest tragedy where two teams of climbers suffered colossal loss of human life, I have been amazed at the endurance of the human spirit to overcome the forces of nature. Considering how risky a venture it is to climb Mt.Everest and how expensive($60k+), knowing that at any time something catastrophic can happen and even end with loss of life, why is the human mind drawn to do something so momentous and brave? These are heroic tales of people holding down two jobs to come up with the money to finance their trip and even though they are not the most physically fit, nothing can make them back down and call it quits. They are willing to leave families behind for periods of time, battle whatever the mountain throws their way, support and motivate each other in the mind-numbing chill and hope that they safely make it back to base camp. Vivid pictures of a guide lying at the summit of the mountain, talking on the radio with his wife who is pregnant with their child, knowing he is going to die on the highest point of the earth because he did not want to leave his client behind or others walking through the avalanche all night long looking for survivors are images that remain with me long after I finished reading the book.

When disaster strikes on the mountain, all etiquette and decorum for "reasonable and accepted" human behavior cease to exist or even bother the conscience at that point, because its all about survival. The brain, starved for oxygen is so sluggish at that elevation, it is probably impossible to let the tiny voice of conscience even be heard.

Sixty year olds and six year olds have thru-hiked the A.T, their journey taking them through 14 states from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mt. Katahdin in Maine. The average time to complete a thru-hike is six months. Wondergimp's journal is quite amazing given she started out on the A.T with her boyfriend who just decided to break up with her when they began their long journey - go figure. She could have given up and gone home but didnt. Her incredible journey is one filled with pain, physical exhaustion, 20 miles per day hikes, getting soaked all day long in incessant rains and dealing with winter on the trail. It is also about meeting very generous strangers who helped her out, hanging out with her fellow hikers pigging out on pizza or icecream that take on significance especially because the foods we take for granted are not so easily available on the trail, the simple comforts of a warm dry bed or hot shower are quite hard to come by. I was quite impressed with her determination and drive to complete the trek across the length of the East coast. Truly a brave and life changing experience.

Here's to the enduring human spirit that overcomes insurmountable odds and helps a person emerge with a different perspective on life as we know it. Here's to all the dreamers, the path breakers, the trend setters who have the vision and courage to breakdown barriers, accomplish something others cant even begin to understand or comprehend.

Let the journey begin - it might not be a lofty one like climbing up the highest peak in the world or swimming with the sharks but as the saying goes - a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. So go ahead and take that first step towards wherever it is you want life to lead you to. As for me you ask - I will be glad to reach a point in pottery class where the coffee mug I start making doesnt end up as a cereal bowl =)