Week 3 – Reading Response to Mountains of the Mind

Bryant Lymburn

Robert MacFarlane’s book of Mountains of the Mind describes the mentality of mountain climbing culture through history using the accounts of famous explorers and rich aristocrats, while at the same time combining his personal experiences with the historical accounts. The book focuses on European (mainly British) accounts of mountain climbing from Scotland, to the Alps, and ending in the grand ventures of Mallory to summit Everest in the 1920’s.

Initially the mountains are perceived as places of great wonder and danger. It was thought that the mountains contained monsters and mysteries including dragons, great rock men, gods or demi-gods, and other bewildering sights. This was thought due to the mountains natural unpredictability and great noises that they possessed. Avalanche, rock slide, and spontaneous weather were all reasons in which people were deterred from exploring these areas. This began to change when the curiosity of science would drive intellectuals to question the formation of these mountains. These intellectuals discover that limestone consisting of long dead sea life was found at the peaks of some of these mountains and it was concluded that these peaks once lay at the sea floor. This then brought on the idea of tectonic plates and their interaction creating mountains. These mountains varied with age and many if not all have been scorn by the time and filing power of the glaciers. These glaciers drew in many by there obscurity to hold snow in the dog days of summer and the turquoise and blues that they possessed. Although it was not until the the 19th century that people began to push to the tops of the peaks that extended from these immense lands of ice and rock. People began to explore these places for the terror in which they experienced en-route to the summit as well as the incredible vistas that awaited for them at the top.

The title of this book ‘Mountains of the Mind’ initially does not stir any immediate inclination as to its meaning, but upon reading it is seen that the overlaying theme is fear. Fear is a mental factor that is hard to overcome. This fear can be seen strewn across the mountain culture over the centuries. Initially it kept them from entering the mountains in fear of the mythical creatures and demi-gods. This fear however began to transition. As science began to explain as to why mountains were created and why they behaved as they did, people began to venture into them. This fear then became the driving factor which people wanted to be in the mountains for. People loved the thrill they experienced in the precarious situations only to be found in the mountain environment. However this fear then became the fear to get over to reach the goal of the view from the summit. This view available from the top drove many to overcome fear and push themselves beyond this boundary. Fear was also experienced in exploring these new mountainous landscapes and peaks in which were held. The fear of the unknown was overcome by the desire to be the first to step foot on certain lands and to be the first to summit unknown peaks. To this extent it is this desire that becomes the second ‘mountain of the mind’ of mountaineering. This desire will drive thousands over the centuries to succumb to draw of the mountains and a numerous amount of others never fulfilling this desire cut short by the unpredictably of the mountains themselves.