Why climb mountains?

By Lee Hyon-soo

Mountains make up about two-thirds of the land on the Korean Peninsula. In an agricultural society the arable acreage of the Korean Peninsula was too small to support its population. That was why our ancestors lived in poverty for a long time.

However, the circumstances changed as industrialization diminished the economic importance of agriculture. Now mountains pose no hindrance to the country’s economic welfare. On the contrary, Korea is considered lucky to have many beautiful mountains that nature bestowed on it.

The Toronto area where I live is completely flat with no mountains in sight. This made me appreciate the beauty of the mountains in Korea. And whenever I return to Korea, I climb mountains with my friends.

I climbed most of the mountains located in Seoul and its vicinity. I also realized my lifetime dream of visiting Mt. Geumgang and Mt. Baekdu. As I was not allowed to climb Mt. Baekdu on foot, I went up the mountain by car on its Chinese side. The sky was clear on the day I reached the top of Mt. Baekdu and I had a good fortune of seeing the sparkling waters of Cheonji.

I like to climb mountains. Being a cautious amateur climber, however, I have stayed away from lofty and steep mountains such as Mt. Seorak, Mt. Chiak, etc. The only exception is my climb to the top of Mt. Fuji. It was so unforgettable an experience that I would like to touch on it in detail.

Mt. Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan rising 3,776 meters above the sea level. While living in Tokyo, I set out to climb Mt. Fuji with a few friends. We drove halfway up the mountain which was as far as we could go by car. From there we climbed up on foot, two or three abreast. We started at about 10:00 p.m. As it was chilly and pitch-dark, we were dressed warmly and each of us carried a flashlight. We formed part of a solid chain of panting pilgrims zigzagging toward the peak.

The higher we went, the steeper the trail was. Short of breath, I wanted to give up my struggle prematurely, but turning back was impossible because men, women and children kept coming up the single, twisting and turning trail. Luckily we reached the peak before the sun rose. An orange sun slipping above a milky sea of clouds was indeed a breathtaking sight.

Mt. Fuji is beautiful when you see it from afar. At its summit, however, there is nothing to admire. The crater is merely a huge, empty pit with no waters in it unlike Mt. Baekdu. The edges of the crater are crowded with small cafeterias and souvenir shops, giving the impression of a chaotic marketplace. I was disappointed that the whole area was devoid of a serene air befitting the sacred image that Mt. Fuji projects.

Why do people climb mountains? The most famous answer to this question is: “Because it’s there.” It was given by George Leigh Mallory when he was asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest.

However, this answer does not suit me, given that I do not have the same spirit of challenge as he did. I climb mountains simply because I want to take my mind off the troubles that I have in everyday life and take refuge in the serenity of mountains.

The feeling of elation that comes with the intake of a deep breath at the peak of a mountain is the reward for hours of hard climbing.

The writer is a freelance columnist based in Toronto, Canada. His email address is tomhslee@hanmail.net.