Looking for Meaning of Life? Climb a Mountain
by Allie Comeau on July 20, 2008 
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This doesn’t come as news to those of us who love to play in the mountains, but Reuters has just published a study that says mountaineering helps people find the meaning of life.
The study, conducted by a New Zealand researcher, states mountain climbers have a “good grasp on life” and deep perspective on to what is and what isn’t important.
From the article on Reuters…
Far from being a sport that just provides thrills for testosterone-fuelled risk-takers, mountaineering actually helps gives people perspective in their lives, according to Lee Davidson, senior lecturer at the University of Victoria’s museum and heritage studies program.
“It’s a way to look for meaning in life, it gives people a sense of focus, makes them see what’s really of value,” Davidson, a climber herself, told Reuters.
Davidson goes on to state that climbers gain a sense of “identity” from climbing – the feeling that they are part of something bigger than themselves. And the fact that climbers take calculated risks, but gain skills to get them safely through danger, builds confidence and teaches lessons that are hard to come by any other way.
In my mind, you don’t have to be a hard-core climber or scale Everest to gain this perspective. My thoughts on the subject are more general. I believe being outside, just hiking or backpacking in the wilderness will give you this same sense of identity and connection. It’s being connected to the natural world that does it for me. Whether exploring a new trail, kayaking a river, swimming across a lake, or climbing a mountain, you are one with it. And that, for some people at least, may very well be the meaning of life.
