Climbers are often attracted to challenges so they climb mountains for challenges and others enjoy conquering summit after summit.Whereas some other climbers like the adrenaline rush. Other people simply enjoy exercising in this way. Ask a million climbers why they climb and you will likely get million different answers.
Do you know why you should go mountain climbing?
Achieving the summit is a magical experience for us. It’s rare in life for you to encounter a gray area or a shifting goal post. It would have taken hours (or even days or weeks) for you to reach the goal. Achievements like these cannot be denied, they are true accomplishments.
After summiting the mountain, what’s next? A big number of climbers spend the early morning waiting for sunrise, taking a million pictures of it, and then rushing back to camp squeezing with the crowd.
We’ve gathered 25 ways you could consider doing to enhance the magic of your next summit:
Here’s how to create awesome memories:
- 1. Take a time-lapse video
- 2. Have A Themed Photo-shoot
- 3. Count down your 25 reasons for gratitude
- If you want to let go, you must:
- 4. Taking a few mindful breaths can help you relax (or meditate).
- 5. If You Have Held A Grudge Against Someone, Forgive Them
- 6. Self-forgiveness
- For a connection:
- 7. Find a New Friend
- 8. Get in touch with someone
- 9. Be Thankful To Those Around You
- 10. Make A Proposal To The Love Of Your Life
- 11. Send A Note To A Loved One
- 12. Share a secret with someone
- How to Become A Better You:
- 13. Wish Upon A Star
- 14. Make A Wish For Someone Else
- 15. Make A Commitment To Yourself
- 16. Set A New Goal For Yourself
- 17. Remember How You Got There
- 18. Conquer Your Fear(S)
- 19. Learn Something
- 20. Commit To Giving Back
- 21. Write A Note To Yourself
- To Reward Yourself:
- 22. Give Yourself A Big Pat On The Back
- 23. Plan Your Post Climb Indulgence
- 24. Plan Your Next Adventure
- 25. Enjoy The View
1. Record A Time-lapsed Video
It takes only your phone and some good resting places (you can hold it if you want, but you will get sore arms).
If you have an iPhone (iOS 8 and later):
- You should open your camera app
- Turn on time-lapse mode (tap the first icon on the left after you swipe right).
- Press the red button to begin recording
- After you have finished recording, hit the red button again to stop
For Android phones (only the latest models):
- You should open your camera app
- Set the timer to time-lapse
- Press the record button to begin recording
- Once you have finished recording, hit the stop button to end the recording
There are many apps available for free and for paid that you can use if your phone does not have a time-lapse feature.
You should be aware that time-lapse videos take up a lot of space on your phone, and might drain the battery quickly.
2. Have A Themed Photoshoot
If you want to make your sunrise or summit pictures more interesting, why not do a photoshoot themed on that theme?
It doesn’t need to be elaborate or need a lot of big props to be effective. You can use simple props, which includes:
- Each climber should write down some information about themselves, such as:
- It would be awesome for everyone to bring a small piece of their country’s flag (if you have a diverse group).
- An interesting fact about yourself
- Having fun knowing each other’s random facts
- Quotes you admire or find inspiring
- Childhood photographs
- Items of sentimental value
3. Think Of 25 Things Of Which You Are Grateful
The positives in our lives are often overlooked while we focus on all the negatives.
Hence, you should try to find at least 25 things that you can be thankful for.
4. Meditate (or just take some deep breaths)
To begin meditating, you only need to take three mindful breaths.
Take three deep breaths, and let your mind be free of all thoughts.
If the sense of calm and stillness that accompanies this practice is enjoyable to you, you may continue.
It’s fine if it’s not. You should do what feels right to you.
5. If You Have Held A Grudge Against Someone, Forgive Them
Forgiveness does not mean letting someone off the hook, instead the point is to let yourself off the hook. What is the point in carrying around anger and resentment?
Although you might not want to tell this to their faces, tell it to the mountain anyway:
- [INSERT NAME], I forgive you for [INSERT WHAT THEY DID]. This is no longer worth my time and energy.”
6. Learn to forgive yourself
Every moment we are holding onto plenty of negativity and take this opportunity to let go of bad memories that serve no purpose and always forgive yourself for any mistakes that you may have made in the past.
Do what you can to make the situation better and if nothing can be done, there’s no point in torturing yourself with the memories.
You can tell yourself the following things:
- ‘I forgive myself if I lost my temper at my parents/kids/friends. Once I return to camp, I will apologize to them.”
- It feels good to let go of this memory from work. I won’t let you hurt me anymore.”
- “I’m sorry I lost my phone. I know now to be more cautious in the future.”
7. You Can Make New Friends
When you share an interest in mountain climbing, it’s easy to make a new connection.
In case you are afraid of making small talk , here are some things to bring up:
- Are these the tallest/coldest/most challenging mountains you have ever climbed? If not, what is?
- So far, which mountain has been your favorite?
- Will you be climbing any other mountains this year?
- Have you ever climbed [INSERT A MOUNTAIN YOU WOULD LIKE TO CLIMB]?
Ask an experienced climber to share their knowledge with you if you find yourself speaking with them. Knowledge is shared freely by people
Try to share some tips with someone with less experience if you find yourself talking to them.
Mountaineering is not the only thing you can do. However, it is an excellent icebreaker!
8. Make contact with someone
It’s likely that you will meet someone you don’t speak to very often, or at least one you are only casually acquainted with, even if you’re climbing with your old friends.
Take advantage of this opportunity to reconnect.
We can use this strategy by simply talking to them about them. An interesting thing you saw on their social media recently, something you overheard them telling another friend or a random memory that popped into your head. It’s hard to go wrong talking about yourself, people love it!
You might just find a new BFF!
Perhaps there is someone you only saw briefly on a few occasions when climbing with a group of acquaintances? OR Do you know anyone interesting that you want to learn more about? OR Have you ever been inspired by someone’s actions or words?
This is the chance to reach out!
9. Say Thank You To Everyone Around You
Consider showing your appreciation by:
- Thank your guide for ensuring you a safe ascent
- Thanks for your guide on importing knowledge and skills
- Please thank your porters (they deserve more recognition!) for literally lifting the weight off your shoulders.
- You should thank your fellow climbers for encouraging you when you were about to give up
- You should thank your fellow climbers for looking out for you
- Your fellow climbers deserve thanks for their companionship
- The climbers who put up with your idiosyncrasies should be thanked
10. Make A Proposal To The Love Of Your Life
The time has come to put a ring on it if you have someone you love who shares your passion for climbing!
We understand that you might not look the most glamorous, and you might be exhausted. Wouldn’t it be better to commit to somebody for better (reaching the summit!) or for worse (looking terrible)?
Here are a few tips to help you prepare:
- Make a note of what you want to say
- There is a good chance your mind will go blank from exhaustion and nervousness. Just write down the words!
- You can ask others to help you climb
- If you want to make a grand gesture, they can keep people away or find a quiet spot
- The ring should be kept somewhere accessible
- Prior to setting out on the summit climb, double-check (at least) three times that it is really with you
- Be sure to time it with the sunrise
- If you want to be romantic, you can say, “I want to spend the rest of my days with you.”
- Do not drop your ring!
11. Write A Letter To A Loved One
These days, well wishes are usually delivered by text or GIF.
So let’s spread some love. There is no need to write an essay. You can simply write a few words on the back of a postcard.
If you wish, you can write:
- A note for your parents/siblings/kids
- Surprise your partner with a love letter
- A birthday note for someone who is approaching their birthday
- Taking the time to thank someone you haven’t thanked before
12. Tell a secret to someone
How about conquering your own fears and allowing yourself to be vulnerable after you’ve conquered the summit?
13. Wish Upon A Star
As we are so close to the heavenly bodies, why don’t we make a wish?
You can harness the power of visualization and affirmation by doing the following:
- Imagine your wish coming true as you close your eyes.
- Believe that your wish has already been granted and feel the joy you have.
- Put it this way:
- “I wish that [INSERT YOUR DESIRE].”
- “My wish is to [accomplish your wish].”
- “Thank you for fulfilling my wish of [INSERT YOUR DESIRE]”
When you see clearly what you want, you will be more inspired to pursue it, and it is more likely that it will come true.
14. Make A Wish For Someone
It is surprisingly beneficial to wish another person well and you’ll often feel much better yourself too.
Make a wish on behalf of your family or friends who are hoping for a proposal/big job offer/children.
Make general wishes for the good health and happiness of some of your close friends.
Consider making a wish for someone you dislike and wish that something good can happen in their lives so that they can be less mean/ gossipy/ inconsiderate etc.
Give it a try!
15. Commit To Yourself
Have you ever been meaning to do something for a long time but just haven’t been able to?
Do you have a new year’s resolution that you’ve broken year after year? Do you have a bad habit you can’t break? Is there a good habit you can’t seem to keep up with? Have you ever had a project that remained unfinished for years?
The best way to do this is to write down your commitment and the date on a piece of paper and take a picture with it.
You can use that photo as your phone and computer wallpaper. Put it up on the wall. Commit to it!
16. You Should Set A New Goal
When you are standing on the summit, you know that nothing can stop you when you set your mind to it.
Establish a new goal for yourself – the next summit you want to climb, the next milestone you want to reach in your life, etc.
17. Don’t forget how you got there
Keep in mind the bumps you encountered along the way. Every ache in your body, any conflict you had with someone, the moments when you almost gave up.
You managed to make it despite all of them.
The next time you encounter a bump in the road, remember these tips. As long as you keep moving forward, no matter how big or small the problems are, you will get there.
18. Conquer Your Fear(s)
What is holding you back? Is it a fear? Can you overcome this fear and live a better life?
You should talk about your fears with someone who you believe is comfortable around you. Ask for their advice and explain why you want to overcome this fear.
The following is an example of how this might work:
“This might seem strange, but I’m extremely shy. As a result, I know that I cannot advance in my career if this fear holds me back. Speaking in front of a group of people is scary for me, so I can’t lead. Can you offer me any advice?”
As an alternative, you could speak to yourself about this:
“I have a fear of public speaking, which will affect my career and work. In order to overcome my fear of public speaking, I’m going to sign up for a course.”
It can be helpful to hear someone else’s advice from time to time. Sometimes, however, we already know what needs to be done.
Make a commitment to yourself that you will take the next step towards conquering your fear(s).
19. Learn something new
Being out there in the mountains is the best way to learn about mountain climbing. Along the way, you probably picked up some skills or acquired some knowledge and do it now if you have not yet done so.
It is not a silly question. Climbers who are smart never stop learning. Learn as much as you can from experience and do not rely on videos, books, or websites.
Find out how people choose equipment, how they train, and what climbing schools or books they recommend.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you wish to know something.
20. Give Back With Commitment
Some people will not have the opportunity or privilege to be standing in your shoes.
Make plans to donate a bit of your time or money to a cause you believe in.
Alternatively, you can simply help out around the house or offer support to the people who are always by your side.
You should always do something, regardless of how insignificant it might seem.
21. Write yourself a note
Having a quiet moment of introspection and reflection is usually difficult in our daily lives due to the many distractions we face.
You can use your downtime during your climb to write a journal entry, jot down some good memories, or record any thoughts you have.
22. Give yourself a big pat on the back
We rarely or almost never take the time to celebrate our accomplishments.
You’ve trained hard for this moment, you’ve endured hours upon hours (or days upon weeks) of semi-torture to get up here.
Congratulations on your win!
23. Enjoy Your Post-Climb Indulgence
It has taken you months to train for this. And you finally made it up the summit.
You deserve a treat now.
Here are some suggestions for indulgences:
- You can relax your aching muscles by booking a massage or spa appointment
- Watch your favorite shows on Netflix
- Pigging out on junk food
- Enjoy a good night’s sleep
See who has the best idea by exchanging ideas with your fellow climbers!
24. Your Next Adventure Is Just A Few Steps Away
Do you have any bucket list items left to tick off? Is there another higher peak to conquer? Is there any other place you would like to see? Are you looking for another sport that offers adrenaline rushes?
Keep your mind on your goals. Now is the high time to start planning.
How to proceed:
- Decide when your next adventure will take place
- Think about who you’d like to go with (maybe that’s the awesome team you already have now?) Decide who you’d like to go with.
- Don’t procrastinate on training/saving!
25. Enjoy The View
The hard work you put into getting here paid off. I hope you enjoy the view!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Why is mountain climbing important?
We should go for mountain climbing because there are many muscles used during climbing, both in the upper and lower bodies. You exercise your back, abdominals, legs, fingers, shoulders, and arms. Climbing regularly improves endurance and strength as well as stamina.
What are the three things required for climbing a mountain?
The three things required for mountain climbing are:
Endurance
Persistence
Will power
What does climbing a mountain teach you?
Climbing mountains teaches you the following:
Patience
Persistence
Gratitude.
Why do I feel better in the mountains?
When we are in the mountains, our bodies boost our hematocrit levels (quantity of red blood cells) in an effort to compensate for the stress. This is the same effect that is created artificially by performance-enhancing drugs. Thus, the mountain air gives our bodies a natural “boost,” without putting our health at risk.
