Stay on Offense Climb Mountains

Attacking Adversity

Bookish Weapon Number Sixty-Six

by Leave a Comment

Boyd Varty has written a book everyone should read for these reasons, 1) It’s discusses lions 2) It’s very short and 3) it will help you find your “track.” ons

Of course I guess I am assuming you are interested in lions, you want save time and your looking for your “track.”

Your Track

So what is your track? According to Varty it is from a life perspective the path to your purpose and it can be the track you are following to find a lion. A Rhino taught him something from the path he walked. That you need to “find the thing that is so engaging that it makes you forget yourself.”

Varty converts the lessons he has learned tracking animals into life lessons that all of us can use.

The Lions

What I found to be the most interesting thing in the whole book was what the author tells us about lions. For instance, did you know that a full grown make lion can get up to 400 pounds? You knew that? But did you know that same 400 pound lion can run 109 years (longer than a football field) in 4 seconds? I didn’t either!

What else? Did you know that other cats like the Jaguar or Leopard do not want to fight because it is too easy for them to get a fatal wound. However, the make lion, because he has the mane protecting his neck is much more aggressive! Yeah, I didn’t know that either.

The Journey

When you are tracking a lion the track can take a lot of turns. You can even lose it says the author. Then you use instinct to find it again. Your fate and the animals seem to be intertwined. This is like life he says.

He reflects on this by saying, “I thought of all the people I had met who wanted a full vision for a new life and then to move from where they were straight into it. I thought of all the people who had told me that when they knew exactly what they wanted to do, they would leave the soul-destroying thing that they were currently involved with. Obsessed with perfection and doing it right, we want to go straight to the “lion.” We don’t realize the significance of the path of first tracks and how to be invested in a discovery rather than an outcome.”

Renias

Renias is a friend of Varty. His ancestors tracked lions for food and he has taught Varty and others the skill. (They don’t track them for food or to kill them. They find them so tourists can see them). Renias is an “interesting” man. For example, he considers treadmills ridiculous!

That’s not all. He doesn’t think time is money, doesn’t talk politics, “when it’s time to work, he works. When it’s time to rest, he rests.” Varty says, “the aboriginals used to say of modern life, “It’s three days deep.” In three days in wilderness, you learn what’s important and your mind changes. Your way of being shifts.”

Stories

Even if you do not read this book, please listen to some of Varty’s stories. He is an excellent story teller who knows how to make the sounds of the jungle. You think you’re right there!

I do hope you read the book. It’s short like I said and packed with interesting information.

Go Hiking And Have An Undefeated Mind

by Leave a Comment

Could it be true? If you do nothing else but climb a mountain every week, will you have an undefeated mind? Of course not, but the title sounds pretty good. However, I do believe it improves your inner game.

How does it do that? As I have said before, it is not easy to go climb a mountain in bad weather or when your knees, or back or hips hurt. When you’re old!

First Hike Of The Year

Which brings me to my first point. Yesterday was the first hike of the “season” and year for me. So I have been languishing in the gym on hiking days for five months. Of course I am trying to strengthen all the muscles I use for hiking during that time. I think it works a little.

Working a little is just not enough to compensate for the grueling ordeal that is the first hike of the the season. The tendons in the back of my knees hurt. Yes, my quads hurt. I have a planters wart on the bottom of my foot and that hurts. Have neuropathy and that hurts. Did I mention it was cold with snow and ice?

Mountain As Obstacle

Getting up to the top and down the mountain the first time in months is a challenge. The mountain is an obstacle, but “OMMS.” OMMS? Yes, “obstacles make me stronger.” That is the mantra you need to ingrain in your brain over and over again.

In fact getting out into the 34 degree weather at the trailhead, knowing that to gets colder as you climb is also an obstacle. A mental obstacle, but an obstacle nevertheless.

Adventure Happens

I dropped one of my Microspikes. It was two hours before sunrise so a little on the dark side. Even with my dim headlamp I couldn’t find it. I climbed back down the mountain. Still no micro spike. Then someone coming up the trail behind me found it. Adventure!

That meant I could continue on up the mountain, but it slowed me down a lot. No record time yesterday. But losing one of my micro spikes has made me stronger. How so? I decided to super glue the broken pack strap so it doesn’t happen again.

Cramps

When I spend 4-5 hours on a mountain I need salt pills to keep me from getting cramps. Yesterday, I forgot the salt pills. So guess what? I got cramps coming down. Cramps were an obstacle to a good hiking experience. And of course obstacles make me stronger.

How did I insure that would be the case? When I returned I immediately ordered some more salt pills and put them on my pre- hiking check list. You do have a check list don’t you?

Wrapping It up

The conclusion is that because obstacles like mountains, lost Microspikes and cramps make me stronger mentally, then climbing mountains certainly contributes to my inner game.

The photograph on this page is one I took yesterday morning. I hope it inspires you to Go Hiking!

Go Hiking and Be Scary Smart

by Leave a Comment

If you go hiking in the mountains every single week then you’re going to get scary smart.Why? It is because of all the fresh oxygen. It will wake up your brain like never before.

You are no longer breathing the mold and carbon monoxide infested air in you apartment. No matter where you live the toxins are going to get you. There are other reasons too.

Views

The magnificent views will inspire your creativity like nothing else. You will see the world differently from an entirely different perspective. High, on top of a mountain you are looking down at all the problems in your life. You are above them.

Nature has a way of giving us some distance from our demons. That way we have a better chance of defeating them. Give yourself a fighting chance by climbing a mountain this weekend.

Trees

Trees remind you that there are living things far older than you can ever hope to be. Maybe they will impart some wisdom to you if you listen very hard. Trees speak much slower than other living things. You might have to stay in the forest for a while to really hear them. You could get smarter just by listening.

Find one tree and make friends. It can be your tree buddy. When tell people I have a tree buddy they look at me strangely. I wonder what they are thinking. I promise my tree buddy I will see him next week so the is one more reason to come back even if the weather is bad.

Learn About The Plants and Birds

Do you know the names of all the birds you see in the wild? There are a lot. It will make you smarter. Here is an aside. I don’t hear the birds like I used to. I don’t know if it is because there are less of them for some reason or that my hearing is so bad I just can’t.

There are so many kinds of plants and you could learn all their names. That would certainly make you more knowledgable if not smarter.

Go Hiking And Be A Happier You

by Leave a Comment

The titles of these books make this too easy! It goes without saying that if you go hiking you will, indeed, be more happy. How could it be anything else?

Don’t believe me? Then let’s look at the evidence.

Nature Bathing

I am sure I have mentioned this before. Recently more and more articles and books are talking about the benefits of being in nature. Even if all you do is go sit under a tree in the woods you are ahead of the game.

If you are walking then you are exposed to all sorts of plants and dirt and good stuff. Some folks like to go hiking barefoot. I saw someone this last season walking barefoot up the mountain. When I was 8, 9, and 10 years old I spent all summer without shoes. I remember stepping on some glass and it never even getting through the callus. But I digress. Put your boots on when you go hiking!

Get it Done Early

Once again, you will be happier if you finish your mountain by 8:30 in the morning. Look at it this way, the day has just begun for most people and you have already climbed a mountain. If that doesn’t make you happy, I don’t know what will.

Then there are other things on your list for the day that will get done because you climbed the mountain early. If you wait then the mountain becomes an excuse for not getting to other important goals for the day.

The Summit

Over the top happy happens when you reach the summit of a mountain. What could passably make you happier except doing it very early. You get to see the sunrise. More happiness!

You say, but what if I don’t make it to the summit? Not possible if you prepare and have grit, determination and discipline!

Go hiking!

Go Hiking And Give Yourself A High Five

by Leave a Comment

What could be more natural. You get to the top of a mountain and give yourself a high five! Why if I don’t have a mirror with me you say? High five your shadow!

Wait, what if it is raining? Then high five the air in front of you as you imagine looking at yourself. It took a lot to get to the top of that mountain so you deserve a high five.

That Morning

Of course if you read my summary of Mel Robbins book, “The High Five Habit,” https://stayonoffense.com/2021/10/10/bookish-weapon-number-sixty/you already know you are supposed to have high fives yourself that morning in the mirror while setting the intention of climbing to the top of the mountain you are on now.

The high five habit was created for mountain climbers even if Mel Robbins didn’t think that would be one of the outcomes of her new book. Hikers need more reasons to high five themselves.

Sitting In Your Car

Yes, you are sitting there even though you get to the trailhead fifteen minutes ago. Why?

Well, when you are sitting in your car at the trailhead and it is raining or snowing and you don’t want to get out of the car, high five yourself in your rear view mirror. Set your intention again and open that door! See, that wasn’t so bad, was it? Now you’re on your way.

It Gets Difficult

The high five habit is a “bookish weapon” against obstacles that pop up, like rain or snow or wind. What if the trail gets steep and you have never climbed this particular mountain? I say put one hand in front of you and high five yourself. It will keep you going!

Then you slip on the snow and go down. Get back up and high five yourself! Keep going. The high five habit will keep you on the game and on the mountain. Now go hiking!

Go Hiking But Don’t Try To Be Jack Reacher

by Leave a Comment

If Jack Reacher were climbing a mountain my guess is he would be sure he never climbed the same one again. That might be a good philosophy for some, but I am against it.

Going up the same mountain over and over has some real advantages. You get to know the trail well which helps me a lot because I hike in the dark. Then I can pick a mountain that is safe in the snow and not prone to avalanches.

On the Other Hand

However, Jack Reacher walks a lot and doesn’t seem to mind it much. He could certainly handle climbing a mountain. When you are big it is a little more difficult because you are carrying so much weight. A former NFL friend of mine told me each one of his legs weight 100 pounds. So that might be tough on Reacher, but I think he would like the scenery.

Most likely he would find something that didn’t look quite right on the trail and soon and himself involved in some kind of crime. It would probably involve all of the mountains in the area so he would have to climb them. Otherwise I don’t think he would.

A Mountain In Every Book

You could say that solving whatever crime or nefarious plot is kind of like climbing a mountain. Of course there are so many things in life that are like climbing a mountain.

Reacher needs to climb these mental mountains his his stories. Just like real mountains, sometimes they are average size and sometimes they are huge. Sometimes they require no technical ability and sometimes they do. You need to be prepared.

Be Yourself

It is probably best not to try to be a Jack Reacher on a mountain. You will enjoy yourself more if you just be yourself. Don’t try to be like your hero, even if he or she are not Jack Reacher. I really don’t think Jack would be much of a mountain climber.

If you are yourself in life and on mountains you learn from your mistakes and not be trying to figure out why something didn’t work out after you copied exactly what someone else did.