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Existence on a mountain is simple. Seldom in life does it come any simpler:
survival, plus striving toward the summit.
The goal is solidly three-dimensionally there- you can see it, touch
it, stand upon it – the way to reach it well defined, the energy of all
directed toward its achievement. It
is this simplicity that strips the veneer of civilization and makes that
which is meaningful easier to come by – the pleasure of deep companionship,
moments of uninhibited humor, the tasting of hardship, sorrow, beauty,
joy. But it is this very simplicity
that may prevent finding answers to the questions I have asked as we
approached the mountains.” ~ Tom Hornbein, Everest: The West Ridge Source: Willis, C. (ed.), 1997. Epic:
Stories of Survival from the World’s Highest Peak; pg. 220. |
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The Storm Testament (Ch 21, 2nd paragraph)
Beaver
George and I were riding up a little valley, scattered ponderosa pine on
either side and willows, alder and aspen in the bottom where the small
stream wound its way from beaver pond to beaver pond. It was a winding
valley, and we couldn't see very far ahead. It was early afternoon; the
deep blue of the Rocky Mountain Shy made a sharp contrast to the scattered
puffy white clouds. The sun was warm, but not uncomfortable, thanks to a
fresh breeze coming gently down from the mountains ahead of us. |
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My father considered a walk among the mountains
as the equivalent of churchgoing. - Aldous Huxley |
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"Enjoy the mountains; they have beauty and
wisdom for us if we approach them with humility, respect, and
knowledge." -Charles Houston |
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Mountains and uplands may defined as features of
the Earth's surface in which the terrain projects conspicuously above its
surroundings, and where the slope of the land distinguishes it from the
generally flat plains."
Beniston, Martin. Environmental
Change in Mountains and Uplands. New York: Oxford University Press,
2000, p. 1. |
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