Alone On The Summit

I seem to write about climbing mountains a lot. I don’t have much experience mountain climbing. Well not in the literal sense anyway. I have run to Australia’s 15 highest peaks over two days, but I’d hardly call them the Himalayas.

I think I resonate with the mountains on a metaphorical level though and seem to have an internal connection to what they represent. In the literal sense running is my freedom, my therapy. Particularly when I head to the Blue Mountains, Kosciusko National Park or anytime I’m able to run to a summit!

But this entry today is about figurative and metaphorical mountains. I’ve just started a new role at a gym and am back coaching full time. It’s where I belong and I feel once more, that I have a purpose and I have direction.

Something I am aiming to do is spend an hour with a new team member each week over the next 10 weeks, so I can get to know the staff and build some team connection with them.

As I walked with one of my new colleagues today we spoke about our own life experiences and I found myself sharing that I rarely ask for help. It’s like I almost have this pride within myself of fighting the battle or reaching the summit alone just to say I didn’t need anyone. Like there would be an enhanced sense of pride and accomplishment because I chose to go it alone.

We didn’t go any deeper on this as our walk ended, but it provided me the title to this entry. Alone on the summit, and as usual my thoughts around this topic began to evolve.

I’ve always loved celebrating wins in team sport. I’ve loved being at the finish line of endurance events and while generally endurance events are a solo endeavour, you still celebrate as a team.

Even in a work environment, I’ve found that I work best with a strong support network and system around me. I think I even expressed that to my new employer during discussions about me coming on board full time.

So why during personal hardship do I choose to fight these battles alone. Is it pride and ego of sharing my struggles with someone else? Is it pride and ego of feeling like I’ll be more satisfied if I overcome hardship alone?

A mix of both I’d say.

We are also fed a lot of information through social media about building character and seeing growth through the fight.

What I’m coming to realise as I get older (and wiser) is that not everything has to be a fight.

There is a time and a place to stay in the fight and take pride in grinding your way to the summit. Like when you’re 80km deep into a 100km race, it’s dark, your legs are screaming and you still have just shy of a half marathon left with 1000m of vertical gain. No one is coming to help you, so stay in the fight.

But if you’re struggling to make ends meet, or you are overwhelmed with the responsibilities of life, business, friendship, health, finances and so forth. Maybe it’s ok to ask for help and celebrate reaching the summit together.

On the contrary, not every mountain requires you to summit. On occasion it’s ok to turn back.

There is a term in mountain climbing called ‘Summit fever’ where mountain climbers are so committed to reaching the summit they ignore advice of sherpas and the increasing dangers around them only to go close to death if not lose their life altogether.

I have definitely felt a sense of summit fever metaphorically. I’ve always had people in my corner and known I could turn to them for guidance and advice but chosen not to for the sake of my own pride and ego, hell bent on overcoming alone.

But being alone on the summit is lonely. It might feel good for a fleeting moment, but it almost always feels better when it’s shared.

Alone on the summit.