why do people climb mountains

For the sheer thrill of it, to test their strength and endurance, to see the beautiful reward of a mountain top view, to know that they have conquered one of God is greatest creations of Earth, and most of all, it is fun!

To prove to themselves that they can do it. It is like an empowerment type of thing. Plus when you get up there theres beautiful views! Me on the other hand, l am to lazy and do not have enough energy to climb mountains.

Because its there.

Ca not afford the helicopter ride up :))

Because some people thinks for different ways someone cannot did and by that way they feel that they are great!!

for fun

A friend of my co-worker wrote this. l think it ur question pretty well:

l truly believe that there is no greater metaphor for life than climbing mountains. The mountains have a way of stripping the mind down do to its basic senses & forcing us to live in the moment. Spending time in the mountains teaches us about ourselves, mainly about the insignificance of our own existence. When we stand on the summit, l want u all to realize that we r standing at the top of a world that most people will never have the honor to step foot in. We will be peering over a crowd of giants at a land forged by forces greater than mankind. Our objective is to remain as honored gussets in this land & not become prisoners. In order to do this we must respect everything around us & maintain balance.

If u guys truly value ur lives, then u must live them to the fullest. We have planned this trip for quite some time & have known from the beginning that it would be dangerous. To turn back now is useless. To turn back in the face of a fierce storm or worsening conditions is obvious. We must expect the worst & hope for the best. If we do not summit because we make the decision to turn back, then we will have learned yet another lesson. If we do not summit because we did not try, then we will learn nothing.

l hope we all realize that if we believe mountaineering is about getting to the top of mountains, then we r treading a path of foolery. Mountaineering is about everything BUT getting to the top. It is about teamwork, courage, fortitude, good decision making, determination, etc. Getting to the top is merely the culmination of effort & circumstance. Effort is in our hands, while circumstance is in the wind. In the end, the rewards of mountaineering heavily outweigh the risks, but u guys already know this. Standing at the summit, we will be afforded a fleeting glimpse at the nothing less than the meaning of life, the apex of truth & beauty, the literal pinnacle of success. Lets take advantage of our youth, health, & means by putting our hard work & preparation to the test. Those who climb for glory, money, fame, & the like may see the view from the top, but the true beauty of mountaineering will always be blanketed by cloud. Those who climb for truth & beauty will be afforded a clear view of something that is often hard to see through the fog of civilization; themselves.

To quote George Mallory, (no.not the ''Because it is there'' quote):

''.if u cannot understand that there is something in man which responds to the challenge of this mountain [Everest] & goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward & forever upward, then u wo not see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all the end of life. We do not live to eat & make money. We eat & make money to be able to enjoy life.
That is what life means & what life is for.''

the thrill of achievment. you should try it sometime.

for the challenge, and to be close to nature.

l guess they like hights. l hate them. Dizzy

For the challenge & simply because they can . Once you get into it , It becomes an addiction as well .