Buckets of love and crampons

Fresh Air Learning - Buckets of love and cramponsClimbing the highest mountain in each of the seven continents – the “Seven Summits” – has become something of a bucket-list adventure for those with the inclination, time and money.

Gavin Bate, a highly accomplished expedition leader and mountain guide, gave a talk on the subject at the Adventure Travel Show in Olympia, London, 26 Jan 14.

Gavin has done a whole load more than “just” the Seven Summits. He has climbed Everest six times, for example. And he runs Adventure Alternative – a company that is seen as an ethical leader in the adventure industry.

The closing slide of his talk was of the view from the summit of Mount Vinson, the highest mountain in Antarctica. The sky was blue and the cold white-scape stretched out to a distant horizon.

“Every time I rest a moment and notice how my body is connected to all that surrounds me; and every time I look out over vistas such as this, I fall in love again.”

For him there is nothing cynical or indulgent about the Seven Summits. The physical and mental effort, the weeks and months spent engaging with the wild outdoors and with their fellow man, and the huge personal learning journeys involved make an endeavour such as this a deeply human one.

One that super-charges the connection between head, heart, body and soul; and opens up the relationships between people and Nature.

Short of investing in a Seven Summits attempt, how do your bring your full self to the people and projects in your life?

Dave Stewart

The Fresh Air Learning Company