Why I’m Chasing Summits and 6 Lessons Learned

I grew up in the province. And the mountains and chasing summits have always been a huge part of my life. It might sound crazy. But I just whisper to the trees the secrets I can’t bear to talk to people. And it helped. The trees and the hills, as creations of the Ultimate Creator, never failed to bring me a sense of peace, hope, and purpose. But I wasn’t able to appreciate trekking a little bit more until I was in my mid-20s.

I was 24 when I started chasing summits. 6 years and 10 peaks later, I realized that every mountain is different. Every peak is loveable in its own way. And every rugged path teaches me a different aspect of life and myself.

Over the years of chasing summits, I learned 6 key mountaineering lessons that are also relevant in other areas of my life.

1. Leave no Trace

In mountaineering, the concept of “leave no trace” encourages people to avoid littering, cutting branches or twigs from live trees, and altering nature through clearing rocks or shoots from an area.

Practicing the “leave no trace” in daily life helped me reduce my use of plastic. It inspired me to avoid single-use purchases. And most importantly, it helped me think twice before buying anything to avoid garbage.

2. Pack Light

Experts say that a climber’s ideal backpack weight should be not over 20% of his or her body weight. This means, if your weight is 200 lbs, you may carry a bag that’s 40 lbs.

Learning the science and art of traveling light is a long journey. It got me thinking about what really matters in my life. This concept got me thinking about the unnecessary emotional and physical baggage that I’ve been carrying that only dragged me down. And ultimately, it paved my journey toward simplifying my life.

3. No One Gets Left Behind

Climbers are usually allowed to go at their own pace, especially on minor climbs and day hikes on established trails. Some people reach the peak faster than others. But for major, multi-day climbs, the team needs to stay together.

The same is true in life. I might be able to finish my own race faster or slower than others. But sharing the experience with others gives more meaningful experiences to a climb or life.

4. Instant versus Delayed Gratification

The mountains can offer scenic views almost at every turn. But it’s not practical to stop and sit to watch every view. One must have a clear idea that the best view is at the top. Hence, it’s worth it to just focus on the toil of climbing, only resting strategically, to reach the peak for that perfect view.

In life, one must be willing to forgo the “good enough” to enjoy the “best.”

5. Failure to Plan Is Planning to Fail

Even for day hikes and minor climbs, it’s important to practice and achieve some level of physical toughness. Emergencies happen. The weather can go awry at a moment’s notice. But you can get through it all if you plan carefully.

Planning for travels and climbs never fail to save me from burnout due to deadlines at work. And I realized that if I plan my daily life carefully, I will be able to make enough money and have more time for travels and chasing summits.

6. Just Breathe and Keep Walking

The challenge of a rugged trail reminds me so much of life’s unexpected turns. As it’s not possible to just opt out of a climb when I’m already halfway up the peak, I’ve learned to face my limits. I learned to be humble enough to ask for a break when the going gets tougher than I expect. Most importantly, I learned to just put one foot after another to finish what I started.

So, What Got Me Chasing Summits?

It feels good to check one item off my mountaineering bucket list. But most importantly, the things I learned about myself, as I followed the rugged and often challenging uphill trail, is priceless.

Yes, reaching the peak brings with it some sense of pride. But in retrospect, I can’t ever forget the trail that humbled me down and brought me to my knees due to exhaustion.

With time, as my muscles and sinews become too weak to climb even a hill, the pride of my youth will give way. And the only things I will have left are perspectives and panoramic views from the mountaintops.

Ultimately, pride and youth will pass. And the most important thing I realized is that, in life and in chasing summits, one can only see clearly through the pain.