"When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
- Bob Brown
Path and snow pole. Pentax MX, Ektar 100, June 2023.
Diary, Day 7: Traverse of the Făgăraș.
“Some days, I wake up in the mountains and I think to myself: what on Earth am I doing here? I’m wet, I’m cold, I’m hungry, my body aches, why am I here? What’s the point of all this suffering when I could be completely comfortable back home in town without all this misery?
And then I remember a personal rule of mine when I’m in the mountains.
Make no decisions before breakfast.
Although we may feel miserable when we wake up at first and our outlook may appear grim indeed, I try not to let that worry me. I put on the billy, boil up a brew, drink a cup of coffee and have something to eat.
As I go through these routine motions, I always find that the will to live, to fight, to struggle returns to me and I find reason to continue. Almost always, it comes down to curiosity. It is about wanting to know what is over the next hill. If I wish to get to know this place, I must persevere and continue on my journey…
Unlikely pathways. Pentax MX, Ektar 100, June 2023.
It’s been fascinating being in mountains where the forces of erosion are much more active than what I’m used to in Tasmania. The Făgăraș are steep and often loose, especially at this time of year while the snow is still melting. Almost daily I hear rockfall and the evidence for them are visible on the snow slopes, with loose bits of dirt, rock scattered everywhere. These mountains are exfoliating their skin constantly, which of course adds to the exhilarating thrill of the mountaineer. Even the smallest bit of skin cell, a rock the size of an apple has the potential to kill or maim…
Steep country. Pentax MX, Ektar 100, June 2023.
A good expedition is like this, a stripping back of sorts. As the trip goes on, we get leaner, hungrier, more ready for business. All things external that are not immediately relevant are discarded. Our clothes get filthy, our bodies start to smell, we get dirt beneath our fingernails.
But beneath all this roughening up, there is a sense of clarity that we gain, and this comes from striving towards the goal of our quest. How far we are willing to push ourself speaks of our determination and commitment.”
Poor visibility. Pentax MX, Ektar 100, June 2023.
-A.S.