Why Do We Climb Mountains

John Mattson climbing the Totem Pole in Monument Valley

My wife and I recently met an Argentine psychiatrist on the top of a small mountain in Patagonia, and I couldn’t resist the age-old question, “Why do people climb mountains?”

He told us jokingly that we were both very crazy, and that we should come to his office as soon as possible.

“Because they are there,” or “If you have to ask the question, you won’t understand the answer,” are the most common stock responses I’ve heard, but the true reason is much more difficult to define.

The Rest of the Story:  https://danceonedge.com/?page_id=12

The Totem Pole:  https://danceonedge.com/?page_id=30

First Descent of the Mekong River in Tibet

“Crash! Boom! Bam! Crash! Splash!”

A loud noise startled us, so we looked downstream and saw a large rock avalanche crashing into the rapid — in the very spot where we had thought about lining the rafts. The avalanche also inundated one of the eddies I had thought about catching, and watching the rocks crash into the river brought back harsh memories of the Colca. The avalanche sent a very strong message to everyone else, as well, and as we hid from the rain and enjoyed a warm lunch, we all pondered how dangerous this river really was.

Intense portage through an active rockslide!

https://danceonedge.com/?page_id=34