Toil and Reward

So much of what we hear and see about alpinism is this wide-angle, action-packed imagery, featuring hard-as-nails climbers making first ascents of wild overhangs at midnight in a blizzard in the dead of winter.

But I’m equally drawn to the smaller, quieter, in-between moments that make climbing mountains a relatable human endeavour. Adam, a clean-cut doctor from Glasgow, phrased it quite well:

I like that the Ben is a democratic mountain. It doesn’t matter if you’re soloing a grade 9 route or walking up the tourist track for the first time; everyone is fundamentally drawn by the same thing — the joy of spending time in wide open spaces, everyone arrives at the same summit

It’s nice to charge hard and it’s also nice to take chilled naps in the sun. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: there is freedom in adventure, whatever your personal definition of that may be, and it’s a privilege just to be outside. There’s a lot to learn, love and protect out there.

Mad love to Cameron, James, Ed, Felicity, Josh and Charlie for an atmospheric week.