On the vanity of reaching the highest peaks
The way we see the world shapes the way we treat it. If a mountain is a deity, not a pile of ore; if a river is one of the veins of the land, not potential irrigation water; if a forest is a sacred grove, not timber; if other species are biological kin, not resources; or if the planet is our mother, not an opportunity — then we will treat each other with greater respect. Thus is the challenge, to look at the world from a different perspective.
David Suzuki
There is a mountain in Bhutan that has never been climbed and no one is allowed to go near it. After four unsuccessful summit attempts the mountain was closed to climbing in 1994 out of respect for local spiritual beliefs. The mountains are regarded as sacred places and dwellings for deities and spirits who do not want to be disturbed. To this day Gangkhar Puensum remains largely unexplored, and whoever shamelessly desires to conquer this majestic shrine, can only admire its pristine beauty from afar.
Alas, not all mountains are as fortunate as Gangkhar Puensum. A mountain far in the east of Asia unfortunately was discovered in 1936 by a Dutch geologist who reported that it was filled with precious metals. Blinded by the greed, an American company, Freeport, came and defiled this beauty in 1972. By mid 1980, the 3600 meter mountain of gold had already been largely exhausted. The local tribe, Amungme, called the mountain Dugu-Dugu (Ertsberg, in Dutch), the home of their mother where the souls could rest after death. And not far from there another mountain was forced to surrender to the greed of the people from across the ocean. This mountain is called Grasberg.
The Bhutanese believe that the defilement of the summit means that the wrath of gods would manifest itself in bad weather and even the spread of disease. Today we can witness the life of the locals near these mountains in the West Papua. They lost their spiritual orientation once their sacred places destroyed for its materialistic value. The mine tailings have tainted their land and brought diseases and misery. Many locals would mine the leftover gold and get a decent amount of money which they spend on alcohol and prostitutes. Once their money is spent, they end up sleeping in the ditch for that’s where the taxi drivers would drop them while they are unconscious.
It is impossible to avoid stepping on human excrement while climbing Mount Everest. The highest mountain in the world not only has become the graveyard of highly ambitious rich people from the West, but also a waste dump. Human greed is limitless. First, money, then power, fame, and whatever it is the world can offer. Everest expeditions are “led” by foreigners while the locals carry their belongings and provide safe ways so that they can summit and post it on social media. The country invites the wrong people by allowing their best treasure to be tarnished.
When I was hiking in the Italian Alps, Dolomites, last July, I came across a beautiful spring. The water flew abundantly and formed a mini waterfall. And right in front of it was a sanitary wipe with some feces on it. That’s not even the only case. Although it’s generally clean in the Dolomites, a view like this stays in my memory for a long time.
Many years ago I and my friends had to stop by the foot of a volcano. We were traveling by motorbike and the road was too foggy to pass through. I left my phone to be charged at the base camp office and hiked the mountain with my friend. The mist had descended to the ground and there we were alone. I suddenly got goosebumps and felt that this place was mystic. The beautiful wildflowers and the lush greens failed to persuade me to stay. We then hurried back to the base camp out of respect to the mountain spirits. Before we left I saw an old man just arrived wearing a special dress. I was told by the locals that some people often stay up in the mountain for days to meditate. The mountains in Indonesia are not like those in Europe. It’s a deep jungle that never sleeps and always waits for its moment to devour you alive. That’s why we have the unwritten rule before climbing mountains: always pray before starting your journey, be humble and watch your words, and ask permission before defecating and urinating. The mountains are alive and you are not there to disturb.
