Why Do I Climb?

Do I climb for vanity purposes? I think I do. It gratifies me every time people hit the like button or post their comments in my freshly uploaded photos at Facebook  Who would not want an affirmation? That's human nature I guess. Do I treat it as a sport? I think I do. The thrill in this activity made me go beyond my limits. I have done the highest in the country, yet I still can't get enough. Neither the highest nor the most difficult would define the finish line. Do I see climbing as competition, a race? I think I do. I've been climbing mountains almost every week, in fact I've done 36 mountains in just a year and a month, as if I would ran out of summits. Stopping is not an option, well perhaps, not until I surpassed the best. Do I climb because of the people I am with? I think I do, definitely. Taking the trails and reaching the summit all by myself can sometimes be enjoyable. But more often than not, climbing with a team, my circle of friends, is what I enjoy the most.

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My tales, though not as good, not as exciting, not as colorful and not an epic to begin with, are still worth telling. You will see in these stories my humble beginnings, the people who shaped me, the first time I slept on a tent, the first time I cooked my food, the first time I ran out of water, the first time I saw nature at its finest, those and all the other firsts in my mountaineering career. In these tales you will see how bit by bit I am marching towards the summits of my dreams.

Thank you is an understatement, for you have imparted more than knowledge and inspiration. What you gave is indeed a trail food for the soul, which I believe won't make me hungry again. What you showed is not a trail sign, but a pavement that will direct me towards success. I can almost see it, you're right, the view is splendid.
-"A Young Mountaineer's Reply to His Master", Ivan's Batang Lakwatsero