“What is this strange force that draws us upwards, this siren song of the summit”, asks Mr. Macfarlane. What is there save cold, exposure and danger, dark outlines which often portray shades of freezing, distant mountains? Can we set parallels to draw closer the world of mountains and one governed by concrete and numbers?
Mountains – Last Adventure of Contemporary Human Being
Mountaineering is the last adventure of contemporary human being, a phenomenon which rallies us under the same roof no matter the age, occupation, experience, political and other orientation. Climbing. Alpinism. Speleology. Hiking. Trekking. Trail running. Backcountry skiing. Renowned maxim of Croatian poet Antun Branko Šimić, “Poets are wonder of the world”, we shall relate to guardians and explorers of mountains, to people who love to dwell in the foot, walk, run and climb towards the summit, descend and study interior of these magnificent giants.
I know many a worker who build and maintain ticking veins, pillars of our civilization. Many a medical personnel who safeguard life. Bearers of education who educate our children. Exceptional scholars who make such an effort better us as human beings, to better our world. Artists and artisans who breathe living color upon imagination. Opposed on the first glance, mountains can bring us together; my pace is easy, as a mountain guide I’m taking a step back to gaze at the wonderful story which is ever hard to chronicle in words, having it here, in front of me, like on the palm of my hand. A man asks himself, why is it so different down there, in a big city? Why do we fight down there? Why are we so divided down there? Why are we at war? Why do we suffer? Why can’t our happiness grow shoulder to shoulder with technology and heritage of contemporary lifestyle, why statistics are against us – there is evermore of unfortunate. Lonely. Estranged.
Mountaineering as a Problem Study
Mountains push us thowards expressing ourselves through togetherness, cooperation, studying and problem solving, efficient stress management. We work way better up there, we work as one. Same is asked of us in big companies, factories, during our working hours, on meetings, in offices, on a construction yard, in a classroom, in a lab; the question is can we make a parallel and use similar, mountain state of mind on the other side of life, for everyday challenges in ever busy, overworked cities? Experience of many says we can.
Treading through Upper Carniola, the amazing region of Slovenia which gave me so much love and understanding during the unfortunate war times and right at this moment, when I am among people who are making preparations for an extraordinary feat, ascent on Kilimanjaro, highest mountain in Africa which is three times higher than our Velebit, two times higher than Triglav and for a Medvednica higher than Mont Blanc. Gazing upon the smiles on radiant faces of hardworking people who walked for two days which was first part of preliminary faze of training for African adventure organized by my friend and business partner Franjo Kmet, gazing upon a rarely healthy factor of suspense which mobilizes human resources while one starts for the unknown, gazing upon anticipation, task studying, hope and strive, presentation of ideas and unlikely positive atmosphere amongst people who don’t know but have to have confidence in each other as a crucial element of success on the mountain I came to understand, time and time again, the answer to the last question and one which Mr. Macfarlane, an extraordinary English writer whose work tells about people and nature in language of adventure, asked at the beginning of the story.
Gazing upon the smiles on radiant faces of hardworking people who walked for two days which was first part of preliminary faze of training for African adventure organized by my friend and business partner Franjo Kmet, gazing upon a rarely healthy factor of suspense which mobilizes human resources while one starts for the unknown, gazing upon anticipation, task studying, hope and strive, presentation of ideas and unlikely positive atmosphere amongst people who don’t know but have to have confidence in each other as a crucial element of success on the mountain I came to understand, time and time again, the answer to the last question and one which Mr. Macfarlane, an extraordinary English writer whose work tells about people and nature in language of adventure, asked at the beginning of the story.
Mountains – Stone, Forest Scholars
Up here we have the ultimate freedom to applaud, to cherish values which refine our world with breath of nature and whisper of humanity. Up here we are relaxed and have good old fun, something we almost forgot behind the desk. We maintain shape and shape our mind. We do what makes us happy, what makes us people. Up here we reinvent core human values like ones of mutuality and ones of readiness to help each other in times of need; these are essential elements of human being which I have gotten from older, more experienced mountain wolves.
Words which I fell in love with upon the first glance, which enchanted me, which I study. Words which I seek on the street full of people and which I admire with every visit to the mountains through the last 20 years, words of many a shepherd, words of a farmer, words of many a worker, hiker, mountaineer, alpinist, climber, caver, words of the elder. As a young rascal I have absorbed these words like I was reading a book which leaves you breathless; time goes about without delay, today I am older and myself walk through concrete city giants where slightly different law rules. Everything we receive scrambling and climbing, people we meet, their words poured into knowledge and experience embodies the tools which help us solve life through small puzzles and large problems which we encounter on the way, up on that mountain and that route, down in a city jungle, from loneliness to alienation, anxiety and depression.
You Crazy Mountaineers
We often hear, – wish I could go. It is not for me. I am afraid. It is too hard. You crazy mountaineers. Today we shall not quantify mountains through height, difficulty of ascent, grade of the route according to American or French scale. Today we shall classify mountains through the most beautiful vistas. Through questions we asked and answered walking and climbing. We shall classify them through good that happened, one would say by chance and we shall leave it at that, while dwelling amongst them mammoths and on our way up and down. Perhaps if we classify them in that manner we shall come to understand that all mountains are alike in size for us who look upon them in awe, whether as visitors or dwellers.
There is a place among mountains for each and one of us. No matter the looks. No matter the weight. No matter the waist size. No matter the social status. Religious, political or any other choice. As long as it is on the road of honor. On the road which leads thowards protection of all that lives, grows and prospers, as a true scholar once said to us. “Mountains are calling for us to come closer, to take a piece of humanity and install it in our electric circuit. Mountains are calling to give us a hand, us, the old civilization which need it to keep up with the times and all challenges which lie ahead.
Mountains educate us to be human in our essence and upon embracing it we shall find these ogres are not so frightening as it seemed in the beginning of this endeavor.
We dedicate this work to all participants of the tour on Pršivec and Soriška Planina, you were our inspiration. Here’s to your commitment to preparations for ascent on Kilimanjaro. We wish you the best of success in upcoming mountaineering endeavors!
