Why I like to climb mountains?

Mountaineering is my favorite sport. I began to climb mountains with my father when I was a child. We usually went together to climb the Tepuys, a particular type of mountain with a top like a table. The Tepuys are found in the Amazon. I stopped mountaineering for many years, but began climbing again 10 years ago. I’ve been climbing ever since and hope to continue forever.
The question people ask me always is……why??????
Maybe: because the mountain is for me: one incredible, magical and spiritual experience.
Maybe: because the mountain is like a passion for me!!!!!!!
Michael Ende said: “the pasión are one mystery”
Perhaps there are many reasons:
I want to experience the special feelings I have… only in the mountains.
I need to escape……….. to breathe mountain air.
I want to fall asleep watching the stars.
I like to get wet from rain
and feel the cold and heat.
JM Serrat (canta- autor))said that “el sol solo es el sol si brilla en ti y la lluvia solo es lluvia si te moja al caer.” “The sun is only the sun.. if it shines on you …and the rain is only rain… if you get wet when it falls.”



There are many stereotypes surrounding mountaineering.
One stereotype is: This is a sport for young people only.
The truth is: There are many older mountaineers all over the world in excellent physical conditions who accomplish amazing things.
Another stereotype is: Mountaineering is a very dangerous sport.
The truth is: Climbing Mountains doesn’t have to be dangerous.
The most difficult routes up a mountain can be dangerous, BUT there are many different routes on the most famous mountains of the world, such as Everest and Kilimanjaro, with different levels of difficulty.
How can we practice this sport with minimal risk?
We must be very well prepared.
We need the best equipment.
We should go with the most experienced guide.
Obviously, we must prepare physically.
Three months before a scheduled climb I begin training.
I have to lose weight
I have to run. I have to practice on the climber wall for remembering wall climbing techniques.
I train at the gym, concentrating on particular muscles in my legs, back and shoulders.
I do stretches and practice Yoga.
BUT…. More importantly……I prepare mentally.
I meditate. I practice visualization. I picture myself at the summit….in my mind….every day!!
It is not just my body that takes me to the summit.
It is MY MIND.
When my body says NO….my mind must be prepared to tell my body…YES you CAN!!!
For me….mountaineering exemplifies the concept of “mind over body.”
I am fascinated by the mental challenge that climbing presents.
I can be in pain……incredibly tired……hungry….thirsty…. BUT….I can nevertheless, reach the summit, where I am “ON TOP OF THE WORLD.”
Mountaineering is a team sport.
One must never climb alone.
I want to tell you about the people I climb with……my team.
I have the best team in the world.
We are 6 women from Venezuela between the ages of 40 and 65.
We have been climbing together for 10 years.
One of the most rewarding things in this sport is the human interaction with the team.
We are in very close contact for a long time, with all the advantages and disadvantages that this brings.
My perspective on life is a little different than that of many people.
Because I am a doctor, I know how fragile life is.
I try to live my life as if each day is my last day.
When I climb a mountain, I experience peace, freedom, and a feeling of detachment from the petty things in life.
Here, on the mountain, life is reduced to the essentials.
Here, we know what is truly important.
I always return from the mountains feeling humbled and grateful to be alive, healthy, and to have once more reached the summit.
Juana Frontera- Fogel