Peaks and Valleys: Philosophy in Hiking
Answers are found in the mountains
“I think I am going to pass out,” I whispered under my breath.
The only things that were in my field of vision were my two feet and the jagged rocks in front of me.
I asked my friend,
“I’m so hungry, man. I might faint. Are we almost to the peak?”
As I looked up to hear his response, he wasn’t near me. He was far in the distance, climbing what felt like Everest with a gas tank of infinity. I nicknamed him “Mr. Killer Robot” after this hike.
I’m known as “the photographer” (undeservingly so) among my hiking friends. I attempted to pull out my smartphone to capture the Alaskan views in front of me…I couldn’t.
I could barely lift my arms. I can only walk, but I felt like a spinning top about to fall over.
As I saw Mr. Killer Robot almost to the peak, a flame ignited from within me. Call it perseverance, pride, or stubbornness. It doesn’t matter. A mission was created, and it had to be accomplished. There was only one thought that existed…
“I am going to make it to the F*CKING top.”
I weakly raised my iPhone and opened the podcast app. I put on David Goggins’ interview with Joe Rogan on max volume and attacked that mountain like I was going to war. Nothing was going to stop me from reaching that peak.
I hiked multiple trails in my home state of Alaska.
I climbed mountains that made me feel both weak and strong. I have gotten lost in the woods where I thought, “If I was being hunted, I’d be dead meat.” I’ve seen sunsets on mountains that made me go, “You know what? Maybe God is real.”
There are many benefits to hiking. The obvious are exercise, fresh air, sunlight, and the therapeutic effect of being in Nature.
Besides all the physical benefits, I learned a lot about Life through hiking. Life lessons, I try to apply daily.
(Hiking Tip: Invest in good hiking boots. Save your toes from suffering)
“Honestly Express Yourself” — Bruce Lee
Besides seeing the beauty of Mother Nature or getting a good workout in, I always say, “Yes” to hiking for one reason:
The Conversations.
“Would you implement Elon Musk’s Neural Link?…Do you think Happiness is a choice?…Are you scared of being alone?… Do you think we will ever become a space-faring race in our lifetime?…“DID JEFFREY EPSTEIN KILL HIMSELF?!”
These are all engaging questions. Questions like these can lead to hours of laughter, intrigue, and new insights.
However, it’s not the questions that make the conversations interesting. It’s not the answers either.
What makes any conversation interesting is authenticity and honesty, “The Real Person.”
“Why do YOU think that way?”… “What are YOUR thoughts on this?”… How do YOU feel about this?…“Who are YOU?”
The “YOU” in conversations is the magnet of curiosity, engagement, and fascination because “The Person” will always be more interesting than any question/answer… and Hiking helps bring out “The Person.”
I’ve had multiple conversations on hikes that do not normally occur in a conventional setting:
- I’ve had conversations about a person’s dreams, fears, and aspirations.
- I’ve had conversations about a person’s traumatic pasts to ideal futures.
- I’ve had conversations that made me go, “Wow! I would’ve never had thought about you.”
I learned more about a person from one hiking trip than 2 years of here-and-there hangouts.
“Why is that? Why does Hiking make people honest and more open?”
Hiking requires being Present and you can only be honest if you are Present.
Society has become so loud and inauthentic. It is filled with filters, distractions, and noise. Why? Because one of Society’s greatest skills is Hiding.
- We portray only our “best-selves” on social media. In reality, we are actually suffering.
- We put on a mask and perform as something we’re not because we think being ourselves isn’t enough.
- We write self-help articles so we can pretend we are a stoic/buddha-like sage. In reality, we are the most ignorant.
Hiding is not only a skill but a culture. Thus, creates the following dilemma:
- If we hide, how could we ever be seen?
- If we cannot be seen, how could anyone know/understand us?
- If we cannot know/understand one another, how could any connection and real relationships be built?
Hiding is just another word for “lying” and relationships cannot survive on lies. This brings the question…Why do we hide? Why do we lie?
2 reasons:
- Preventing a familiar past.
- Preventing an undesired future.
Therefore…
If we lie because of the past and we lie because of the future, there can only be one place where we can be honest. The Present…and Hiking is all about being Present.
There are no distractions when hiking. There are no phones to share memes or news with. There is no time to be obsessing over self-image. Everything that is outside of this hike does not exist.
There are only THREE things present when hiking:
- You.
- Me.
- THAT GOD DAMN MOUNTAIN.
Society is not here. Even Time itself becomes irrelevant. When the culture of hiding is erased and the only concept of time is this very moment, Honesty can finally exist. It is only through Honesty can relationships bloom.
Hiking: We are going from Point A to Point B. In between that is only us.
“Why the Hell Am I Even Doing This?”
“We are going up THAT?!”
This was my immediate reaction to seeing my first mountain. On the outside, I was cool and mellow. On the inside, I was freaking out.
“I don’t know if I can do this. What did I get myself into?”
So much self-doubt rushed into my head. I almost quit before we made our first steps. I always have this thought with every new mountain I decide to take on:
“Why the HELL am I doing this? This is difficult. This is exhausting. I could be relaxing and eating some ice cream right now.
Instead, I am dying on a giant rock. Our ancestors must think we are insane for climbing mountains as a recreational activity.”
Patience and Perseverance
Growing up, I was never fond of challenges.
I like the easy route. I like the lazy ways of doing things. I’d rather relax than deal with stressful situations. I like “comfortable.”
But Life has no care for personal preference.
Life gets uncomfortable. Challenges and adversities are uncomfortable. Left and right, Life throws curveballs. Uncomfortable is not a bug, it’s a feature.
The question is…how do we react to the uncomfortable?
The more I charged up mountains, the more I got lost in the woods, I was training my body. However, I was also training my mind.
I trained my mind to learn the art of “shifting.” For example…
- Instead of saying, “We are so far away.” I say, “We are closer than we were before.”
- Instead of saying, “I want to quit.” I say, “It is going to feel so good when we reach the top.”
When I have a negative or dragging-my-feet attitude bubbling, I shift. I shift from a negative attitude to an opportunistic attitude. I have applied this to my everyday life.
- Instead of thinking, “This problem is too daunting of a task.” I think, “One step at a time, and I will finish this project.”
- Instead of thinking, “I am dreading to work out today” I think, “I will feel great once I get it done.”
I cannot change my challenges, but I can change my perspective. I can always shift.
When your perspective feels painful and narrow, shift. Shift to a wider lens, a more open point of view. With a wider view, opportunities are visible.
Mind, Body, and Spirit
Reaching the peak of a mountain is one of the best feelings in the world. But it is not the sight I crave when hiking. If I wanted to see a gorgeous sight, I can search “beautiful nature shots” on Google Images.
What makes seeing that picture-perfect view worthwhile is knowing that the view was earned.
Going up a mountain, whispers of quitting enter your mind. Hunger and thirst begin to activate your primal functions. Every breath is a reminder of the voluntary torture you were willing to inflict.
The reward? Reaching the top as a conqueror of mountains and the Mind.
Hiking is rewarding because it feeds your entire being. When you reach the top, it is a physical, mental, and spiritual exhale. There is nothing quite like it.
The opportunity to say, “We did it. We won.” is worth it. Every. Time.
One step at a time, one breath at a time, one effort at a time, you can make it to the top. With patience and perseverance, is there anything we cannot do?
Hiking is Freedom
As I weakly made it to the top, I finally joined Mr. Killer Robot. I gave him the biggest “bro-hug” ever. Throughout climbing, I felt like death. When I reached the top, I felt immortal.
I conquered a mountain that nearly killed me. I did not quit. I did not give into my cowardly instincts. When I reached the top, I felt like I could take on any challenges that will ever come my way.
I old-man grunted as I sat back on a jagged rock that my body was completely grateful for. Within sight, I can see all of Anchorage, Alaska.
Endless mountains, eternal skies, and an infinite body of water engulfed my entire field of vision.
I. Earned. This.
I felt superhuman..for about 10 seconds.
Despite feeling big, I immediately felt small due to Nature’s painting in front of me. A painting that I called “Home” for my 25 years of existence.
In the distance, we had a clear sight of the beautiful Mount Susitna or “Sleeping Lady” in front of us. It was the most gorgeous view I’d ever seen of her.
I told Mr. Killer Robot, “This would be a great place to die.” He probably thought I was insane for saying that. Maybe I am. Maybe, I was a little delirious due to hunger.
While I sat on top of the mountain, I remembered the Biblical story of Moses for some reason.
For those unfamiliar with the story, he was the prophet who brought Judeo-Christian God’s people out from Egypt and they wandered in the desert for the Promised Land.
After wandering for 40 years, they finally reached it. Moses saw the Promised Land but passed away before entering it. Despite never entering, just seeing it was enough for him.
I thought to myself,
“Is this what Moses felt when he saw the Promise Land?
An intense feeling of hope?
A feeling that no matter what happens, there is always something to look forward to in life? Challenges to overcome? People to love and to be loved by?
A future uncertain, but totally worth fighting for? Did he have such thoughts as he faded away?”
Maybe…but that didn’t matter.
Thoughts on ancients beings or future technological advances quickly became irrelevant to me. All that mattered were the two things I am always hungry for after a hike:
“F*ck. I am so hungry for pizza and the freedom I know I will crave after I get down this mountain.”
