The evolution of mountains is more than just the movement of tectonic plates crashing into each other, pushing up on each other to create a jagged peaks, and corrupting the earth surface. Furthermore, humans used to see mountains as obstacles and mystical centers of fairytales. However, in the last couple of centuries,mountains have become more than just obstacles, they have become part of human conquest. After exploring the seas of the world, humans decided that they had ran out of distance to explore and recognize that the last earthly exploration was up. Mountains, throughout the world, became a tourist attraction, which by living in Bozeman is very apparent. The way mountains are viewed was forever changed.

Macfarlane gave his history of this, in which he detailed the evolution of mountain climbing. He  referred to the start of mountain climbing as the “golden age of mountaineering” (P. 17). The “golden age” was the mapping of Alpine passes. However, this was soon to be seen as a passe endeavor and people turned to the greater ranges of Asia. According to Macfarlane, climbing mountains become a cultural memento among the countries of the world. For example, the United Kingdom was at the scene to the paramount of mountaineering. When Sir Edmund Hillary summited Everest for the first time in 1952, just a few days later Queen Elizabeth was coronated. The news of the feat reached the people of England at the same time of the coronation, creating a patriotic frenzy of cultural pride. In the same way, here in Bozeman, the people identify themselves as people of mountains, not only for skiing but also claim them as their own. The transition from seeing mountains as something to be concord, to items that people identify with, both metaphorically and introspectively, became apparent.

The warm and gooey feeling one gets when atop a mountain has lit many philosophical and psychological debates with regards to humans continuing to pursue high altitude climbing. Yet still the question begs an answer that no one can give, other than that they just feel pull to the mountains with simple curiosity. The same pull that make mountains grow even higher.

Although people identify mountains as their own, human kind is just a blip in the universe’s existence. Macfarlane speaks to much of the geology of mountains and the formation of mountains. Speaking solely about the actual history of mountains, the discussion must take place in the context of millions of years. These fortresses that nature creates, and that humans conquer, are alive in the respect that they are never done changing and forming. Macfarlane used this as a powerful tool to show how mountains should be respected and should not be looked at as just another human conquest.

The conquest of mountains that made such cultural stigma possible has created a fashion of mountaineering more focused on equity than adventure. Mother nature has created the fortress of mountains to allow human curiosity flourish, even if it means loss of life. The ruthless and never-ending construction and distribution of mountain peaks puts all history of mankind in perspective and recognizes that all the conquests and bloodshed is nothing more than just a blink in a mountians life.