Some may find peace watching a sunset from a beach and some like me would prefer mountains over a beach. I am no mountaineer but that doesn’t stop me from knowing more about Mountains nor does it stop me from dreaming about reaching the summit of Mount Everest one day.
Mt Everest stands tall at 8848m height above sea level and its existence as tallest mountain on earth was first made by Andrew Scott Waugh. He was a British surveyor general of India and observed the peak of Mt Everest first from a distance of 230kms. Nepal had then banned any entrance of British in their country. So, they had to do surveys from a distance as close as 190kms and still found Mt Everest as being the tallest on earth. He named it after his predecessor Sir George Everest in 1865.
In 1924 George Mallory and Andrew Irvine made the first attempt to reach the summit only to never return, although it is believed they were seen just 240m short of the summit by a fellow climber. Whether they reached the summit or not will always be a mystery. It was only in 1999 that body of Mallory was found by an expedition team. On May 29th, 1953 Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa of Nepal, become the first explorers to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
It is always fascinating to read extraordinary achievements of mankind. Many such achievements are understandable and some debatable. Whereas some are only for the people who achieve it and only for their understanding. Climbing Mt Everest might top that list.
Some feel it a foolish decision knowing the risk involved. What is the need of such dangerous experience which might end up with your life? Why spend huge money on an expedition when it can be spent on other much safer pleasures. But can we measure the true happiness one finds doing such things, knowing risks but still finding it worthy enough to sacrifice your life for it too if needed.
Imagine doing this climbing in 1920s, when one dint know the exact route nor had the proper gear or equipment’s. Here they are not only trying to achieve something but also discovering things along. But everything must begin somewhere for others to learn from their experience.
Infact now, knowing the amount of oxygen present , the altitude sickness one might have, the dead bodies you might encounter on your way, the physical and mental pressure you will face and yet wanting to be on top of the world, to reach the summit itself is such a dare act too.
One might achieve many things in life, which can be shared with others or sometimes it might be achievements just to prove a point in life. But does achieving a summit as high as Mt Everest, an experience you might share but the happiness you get is purely yours. You do not endanger your life to prove something to someone, you do it for yourself.
You are prepared for the worst things in life, an important lesson Mt Everest teaches you. Climbers say they know they might see dead bodies on their way, they might lose their loved ones or a stranger they might be going with !! and you are prepared for this hard truth of life. You can be optimistic but such mountains always live by their own rules. Right??
You might have to say no to help someone, you might have to say no to share your oxygen tank or your water bottle. You may have to overlook the dying person sometime when nothing you can do will save them. Will this attributes mean your selfish, absolutely not. And this will also be understood by the person at the receiving end of it. There is whole new definition to life that only climbers can understand. You can’t apply them in your normal life, you will never leave any person in misery.
So if one still says climbing mountain is just for that adrenaline rush, then why don’t you feel the need of such rush?? Why would many choose skydiving or motor racing instead? Mountain does not call everyone. It attracts one who seeks it.
And what do you get once your there…Sanity? People who have reached the summit with all their strength and courage, with all the pain a body can consume would still give anything to go through it all over again. What does a summit trades with one that makes it a better buy? Only a climber can answer this. People like me can only have such desires and them turning into reality might be another desire altogether. Mountains are calling ones who wants to hear it from within.
