When you decide to climb a mountain, there is always a reason why.
Sometimes that reason may be that you need to get away from reality for a little bit. It could also be that you’re bored and need a fun activity to do. Who knows? Maybe you climb mountains for exercise (in this case, I do not relate to you whatsoever). Regardless, when you climb a mountain you’re doing something really difficult, because you know it will be worth it when you get to the top.
My friends and I decided to hike the mountain at Hanging Rock State Park in Danbury, North Carolina, because we were looking for an activity to entertain ourselves when all other students had left for Easter break. We drove the 45 minutes to Danbury, and our excitement grew as we saw the mountain looming in the distance ahead.
When we pulled in the parking lot, we could see the top of Hanging Rock, where we would be hiking. To say it looked far away is an understatement. But we weren’t about to turn around, because we came here to hike the mountain, and that’s exactly what we were going to do. Though it did take us about 10 minutes to find the entrance to the trails, because I had forgotten where it was since the last time I was there (directions are not my thing). But eventually, we did stumble upon it and began our trek.
Climbing a mountain isn’t about walking uphill—although you do a lot of that. It’s about making an effort to get to a place where you can see the world from a completely different perspective. It's likely that your shoes will get dirty, your muscles will be tired (or if you’re out of shape like me, they will be burning… not going to lie), and you will have to take a break (or maybe seven breaks). But that’s not the point. The point is that you keep going, keep walking forward, and keep on taking in your surroundings. The top is the best part, but it is not the only experience of hiking up a mountain.
When you’re going up, you'll see other people coming down, smiling, laughing, silently thinking, or talking. These people have just experienced what you’re here to see, and even though they all probably lead very different lives, they all just experienced the same perspective of nature, if only for a moment.
As you continue to hike, you see the world changing. The trees get smaller, the air becomes more crisp, and even the wildlife is different. Your view shifts the higher you climb.
There will be easy and peaceful parts of the hike, and there will be the 5000+ stairs that make your legs scream, “Why are you doing this to us?” Eventually though, you will get to the top. The view is always breathtaking, partly because it’s amazing, and partly because you are out of breath from just having climbed a mountain.
You will see everyone taking pictures, obviously trying to score the best Instagram, (and yes, my friend and I are completely guilty of this too), but I encourage you to hold off on that. Find a nice spot and sit down, and just take in your surroundings. Looking and seeing are two different things, so when you look through a lens and take a photo, versus seeing with your eyes and actually acknowledging what you see, those are very different experiences.
A photo will remind you of that location, but you have to actually be present and aware of the moment in order for the photo to spark a memory of what it felt like to actually be there. It’s something so simple, but it really makes a difference.
Another thing you should know is that I am really scared of heights. This fear makes climbing a mountain that much more difficult, because although I’m excited for the view, I’m also anxious because it’s so far from the ground. At the top, my friends all walked confidently over to the edge, taking in the full view, whereas I had to inch my way over, my heart pounding the whole time.
To add to my anxiety, two people on the other side of the rock decided to free climb down part of the mountain, essentially testing death. At this moment, all of our eyes were on these two individuals, wondering what they were thinking and how it would end. Thankfully, both individuals made it back up safely, but I just sat there thinking how these two could be so fearless and how they could achieve this activity that terrified me with such poise and calm spirits. But I remembered that they’re just people, and they each have something that scares them too.
My friends and I sat on top of this rock for over an hour just taking everything in.
When we finally decided it was time to go, we took one last look and then turned around. Feeling mildly proud of my friends, and myself, I declared, “Hey, y’all, we just conquered this mountain.” And for a moment, we had. Then reality set back in, and I tripped over a rock, thus kick-starting our trek down the mountain.
The walk down is always less strenuous and you have the mindset that you did what you had set out to do -- And that’s always a good feeling. We got in our car and left. As I drove away I could see the mountain in my rear view mirror and couldn’t help smiling a little. Yes, we were driving back to work, school, and other stressors, but hey, we had just climbed a mountain, and that’s really something.
