Is Mountaineering Really Only For Tough People?

Mountains surpass any other conceivable experience. Firstly, it’s because of the people who accompany you.

According to Bastian, Jetten and Ferris (2014), sharing a physically demanding or painful experience with others reliably increases feelings of bonding and cooperation between them. I must admit, I have not visited the Tatra Mountains often. I regret this, as they are likely Poland’s best training ground — steep, challenging mountains filled with strong-willed individuals.

I also recently visited Chata Pri Zelenom Plese for the first time. And I’m confident it won’t be my last because it was an incredible place. Except for the fleas in the mattresses that mercilessly bit me, everything else was fantastic.

The Slovak cuisine, the cozy wooden rooms, and the breathtaking views outside the window all made up for it.

The mountaineering course itself was far from easy. It was primarily designed for intermediate-level climbers. For someone like me, it was quite challenging.

I had rarely held a rope and a carabiner in my hands before — well, maybe once in my life.

Especially when it came to knot tying and similar skills. Throughout the day, we had field classes. And in the evenings, we attended lectures on avalanches, snow science, and related subjects.

Our instructor also shared stories from his expeditions. One was the infamous incident at Nanga Parbat in early 2013, where militants attacked the base camp.

Thankfully, Polish climbers were at a higher altitude in the second camp during that time and managed to avoid the violence. But unfortunately, thirteen other climbers were not as fortunate.

What Did I Learn On My First Mountaineering Course?

I returned from the course with bruises and bug bites, but I was genuinely happy. According to Woodman, Hardy, Barlow and Le Scanff (2010), people drawn to high-risk sports are often motivated by a need to regulate difficult emotions.

What Did the Lectures Teach Me About Motivation and Risk?

One of the lectures touched on topics related to motivation and conflict resolution within a group. I found myself lost in thought about it.

The instructor warned us about certain types of people one should not venture into the mountains with. According to Kayes (2004), a narrowly fixed goal and poor team judgment, not the mountain itself, drove the 1996 Mount Everest disaster.

For instance, he cautioned against accompanying individuals driven by desperation. I agree with his point that people who seek solace in the mountains after personal failures, such as job loss or abandonment, are more likely to take unnecessary risks. They may also engage in excessive cheerfulness.

I began to ponder and reached the conclusion that I might unfortunately suffer from this syndrome. According to Clance and Imes (1978), high achievers often privately doubt their abilities and fear being exposed as a fraud despite clear evidence of competence. Perhaps I rushed into the Andes, which are notoriously challenging and unpredictable mountains.

It’s challenging to achieve a sufficient level of fitness within a few months. This is especially true when starting from the position of a sedentary computer user.

I’ve definitely made progress, even since Kilimanjaro, but I still have a long way to go before reaching the summit. It’s probably wise to postpone this endeavor until next year.

Otherwise, I risk wasting three weeks on a doomed attempt, squandering a considerable amount of money, and jeopardizing my contract. Such a mature decision seems necessary.