Imagine: you are on an uphill climb, can feel the cold air with every breath as you ascend higher and higher on the mountain you’ve dreamed of climbing, and….all you can think is will this ever end?
You’re cold, tired, on your way to the next base camp, while these negative thoughts swirl in your mind relentlessly.
I am so tired and this is so hard, I can’t take it anymore. Why am I doing this?
With such unfavorable attitudes and negative ideas, how will you ever get through the day? Here are some of the greatest mental advice and ideas that have helped numerous mountaineers.
You will become exhausted more quickly from negative thinking than from physically ascending the mountain. You have to deal with the sentiments that are produced by your ideas and emotions and more often than we’d like to admit, emotions control events in both life – and in climbing.
So many seasoned mountaineers say that the hardest obstacles are psychological, so let’s dive into the world of mountaineering.
Embrace the Boring
The truth is that alpine climbing hurts; it aches like crazy. No matter how well-trained and in shape you are in, alpine climbing entails significant physical difficulty that affects all mountaineers. There are many unpleasant aspects of experiencing nature in its true state while mountaineering. From having trouble breathing in the higher altitudes, losing your appetite to altitude sickness, being cold, wet, sore, exhausted, and sick of hiking and climbing…you are guaranteed to grumble and ever started this journey at all.
One of the main reasons mountaineers deal with all the discomfort is because they adore the mountains. There will be sucky parts for sure, but true mountaineers feel most at home on the journey to the peak. Keep summit X as your ultimate destination in mind…even if the road to successfully getting to that summit will be not always be enjoyable.
You’re Capable of More Than You Imagine
- What first motivated you to come to the mountain?
- Why do you enjoy hiking on difficult treks – scaling mountains, or going to the difficulty of preparing for events like this?
- Is it monetary gain, notoriety, a family heritage of peak-climbing aspirations, adventure, rivalry, inspiration, or searching for self-discovery?
Your reason is unique to you.
When the going gets rough, you may draw on your individual purpose for doing anything. Some appreciate the outdoors’ wildness and natural beauty, and the challenging aspect disappears once you go back to the essence of why you are out in the wild. Using goals to drive your focus, and achieving them can give you a sense of purpose and achievement.
You can Climb That Mountain
Blend optimism with pragmatism, and what do you get? A positive attitude – your goal of reaching the summit would be achievable because you’ve put in massive amounts of training before your climb. You can be sure, your attitude most definitely determines your altitude and keep a calm, clear mind while realistically gauging your circumstances and the environment around will be the path to success.
Three M’s: Mindfulness, Mantras & Meditation
On a climb, being attentive is to be totally present. Conscious of where you are and what you are doing, and being able to resist giving in to the overpowering circumstances. While it’s challenging, doing this can help understand our own minds, lessen stress and perform better.
While on training treks, you’ll be spending quite a lot of time alone with your thoughts. This is a perfect time to practice mindful meditation – a “walking meditation”, where you start by paying attention to each step you make. As thoughts filter into your mind, accept them and move forward to other thoughts without judging them. Our bodies have internal rhythms that help it relax in a calming way.
Breath Practice
You are losing awareness of what is happening right now when you start to feel stressed and anxious. Revert to life’s most fundamental activity—breathing—and relax into it while maintaining a connection to your body.
We are able to move between different states of consciousness through the breath, and this has a biological impact on our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. As you climb, be aware of your breathing and be prepared to manage it if you start to take short breaths. At high elevations, breathe in and out deliberately to feel renewed and rejuvenated.
Ascend, to Transcend
Combining all of these mental tricks and practices into one philosophy of transcendence. Every step you take as you are pushing through a climb, you’re surpassing anything you have ever done before. That feeling of self-discipline, mastery, confidence from your experiences – even in the face of uncertainty, incorporating motivation, emotion, fear, ego, concentration, flow, self-reliance, and judgment all into one seemly impossible act:
The act of climbing a mountain.
Are you into extreme sports and have an exciting video you would like to share with the world and get more exposure? Look no further than our OTT streaming community of extreme sports enthusiasts, content creators, athletes, and fans!
Share Your Videos on our TV Channel >> https://upload.wfo.tv/
