Amanda's post "Why climb a mountain?" reminded me of the question posed in class and provoked some further thought. I attempted to think of some potential fundamental reasons for why we are drawn to mountains. I primarily looked into how this might be useful in the context of human nature, survival, and evolution.
For reasons of survival it is in our best interest to learn as much as possible about our environment. Through time and experience we develop an understanding of the world around us and how things within this world interact. This understanding allows us react to situations. Take, for instance the classic example of a child learning that fire is dangerous. The child wanders to some bright light and finds that it can cause pain. If the learning stops here, the child will avoid the light for the rest of his/her life. Instead the child's understanding of the fire might grow to incorporate ideas of warmth , protection, food, and pleasure (a camp fire, for instance).
In learning as much as possible, it seems that we naturally find the idea of nuances or variety to be appealing. Imagine planning anything. Let's use planning a strategy as a coach as an example. Your strategy may vary based on the skills of your team and the skills and strategy of an opponent. If you are familiar with only one strategy, you will use it even though it may work poorly in a particular situation. For this reason knowing a variety of strategies helps, as you can then choose or blend multiple strategies.
If breadth of knowledge is so valuable, it makes sense that mountains are appealing. As discussed in class, mountains (particularly relevant in the case of the Adirondacks) offer an incredibly wide range of ecological systems. Exploring these systems and being able to conquer them (so to speak) via a hike is then very beneficial to us. Overcoming the mountain as a physical challenge only adds to the appeal and leaves us in a position of power.
Imagine standing atop a mountain. As this is a goal that has been accomplished, it feels quite rewarding. The position relative to the rest of world seems to add to this. Being physically above others is generally advantageous. Consider a city on a hill. The location makes it easier to defend both, because of the ability to see further out and the ease that comes with fighting from above. The perspective gained from above is particularly important here. The ability to learn more from a higher point makes it valuable to humans as learners. The view on a mountain offers information about a huge area, which makes for a pretty overwhelming learning experience.
There is clearly far more to be considered here. It seems, though, that the human experience on a mountain can, to some extent, be generalized as an intense learning experience. I apologize if this all seems like nonsense or a huge stretch - this was a way of fleshing out a few wandering thoughts that I had.
I agree with your point that we place a special value in the ability to reach a peak. While I am no philosopher, I strongly believe that we are driven towards tangible goals. A mountain provides this goal. The peak allows us to narrow our vision and realize when we have reached the goal. This cannot be as easily said for traveling through forests or open fields. While the aesthetics of the landscapes are comparable, they do not possess that same tangible goal. This goal in the Adirondacks is especially heightened because of the 46ers. Now it is not just about climbing one mountain, but 45 more. These peaks speak to our competitive nature and their title somehow enhances the experience. This is why the 46ers are the most popular peaks in the park. They provide us with a goal to work towards.
ReplyDeleteWhen this question was posed in class, I thought about my experience with hiking mountains versus my preferred form of outdoor recreation. I enjoy paddling more than hiking but as you two stated about hiking, there is a need to set and reach goals in paddling as well. After paddling across a lake or down a set of rapids, I feel more accomplished at the end of the day than when I reach the summit of a mountain. Don't get me wrong, I still feel accomplished after a long hike, but I feel more challenged with a paddle in my hand because I have to navigate a boat through rapids or propel it forward using a unnatural extension of my body. When I watch youtube videos of people freestyle canoeing or doing kayaking tricks it's like art, because I try those things, and it's not easy. Being able to gracefully lower a canoe down a set of rapids, all the while catching eddies and leaning the edges of the canoe, is my goal on a river, and when I make it down without capsizing, the sense of accomplishment is what brings me back every time.
ReplyDeleteBoth you and Amanda discuss in your respective articles the amazement associated with climbing a mountains. Amanda describes this as a sense of "otherness." Both of your articles made me of one of my favorite books, Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air." In his book, Krakauer recounts his experience climbing Mt. Everest. I do not want to say too much more about the book for those who have yet to read it, though what I will say is that Krakauer presents how unfathomable brutal and dangerous the climb of Everest can be, no matter how prepared and experienced of a hiker is taking on the challenge. Regardless of these well known issues associated with hiking Everest, K2, and other multi-thousand foot mountains, there is no shortage of interest. The reason for the appeal, I believe, directly agrees with your blog post. People want to, as you state, overcome physical challenges and feel the reward of a "win," which can trump fears of death and danger.
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