There are a lot of adventure lovers in this world. Some are famous like me (Caroline Leon), while others are having fun secretly. But have you ever thought about what all this gives them? I mean, why do they spend a lot of time on something that some people would never do! If this question has ever come to your mind, we think quite the same, but the only difference is that I have found the answer after spending my peak years in the mountains.
But I am not gonna tell it to you so easily, or simply I can’t because it is complex and simple at the same time. For those who have been a part of our community for a while know that climbing for me has never been just about getting to the top of a mountain.
Of course, the summit is beautiful. Of course, the view is extraordinary. Of course, reaching the summit of Mt Everest is thrilling. But the real reason I keep putting one foot in front of the other often begins long before I’m anywhere near the Himalayas. It begins in the quiet moments of planning, in the long months of training, and in the deep, sometimes uncomfortable, conversations I have with myself.
And today I want to talk to adventure lovers like you, personally and honestly, about why I started climbing and am still doing it. Why do I keep seeking challenges? Why do I push my body and mind into the unknown? And why, for so many of us, climbing mountains is not simply a hobby, it’s a lifeline. So, read on!
It’s My Purpose and Maybe Yours Too
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and realised you haven’t found the purpose of your life? It’s something that has happened to most of us, and denying it means a betrayal of ourselves! Everyone on this planet needs a purpose that lights them up from the inside, something that anchors them when life feels chaotic.
My accident in 2015 forced me to confront this more directly than I ever expected. When you lose almost everything, your physical ability, your independence, your direction, you suddenly understand the power of having a why! Climbing became that way. Not because it was easy. Not because it was glamorous. But because it demanded something of me.
Climbing mountains required discipline, commitment, patience, discomfort, and faith. And we, human beings, thrive when we have something to move toward. Am I telling the truth, fellow mountaineers?
Mountaineering Teaches Us The Art of Showing Up
Most people assume that being a mountaineer means being fearless or impossibly strong. But honestly? It simply means showing up again and again, even when you don’t feel like it.
Training isn’t always romantic. I don’t always feel motivated. I don’t always feel powerful. But I’ve learned that discipline builds confidence, not the other way around. Training creates a foundation you can rely on when conditions turn, when altitude hits you harder than expected, or when your mind wanders into doubt.
Planning is no different. Preparing logistics, gear, route options, and weather windows, this is where a climb truly begins. This structure gives us clarity and, ultimately, freedom. You can only trust yourself in dangerous environments when you’ve already put in the work behind the scenes.
And here’s the beautiful part: this drive, this discipline, doesn’t stay on the mountain. It spills into your everyday life, your relationships, your career, your self-worth. Adventure trains you for life in ways nothing else can.
Humans are Explorers, Not Settlers
A lot of people have asked me this same question thousands of times, “Why risk it? Why choose hardship when life is already hard?” And I tell them: because exploration and adventure are all that make us human.
Even humans evolved as explorers. We crossed oceans without knowing what was on the other side. We followed migrating herds across continents. We climbed mountains long before we had down jackets or GPS or carbon-fibre ice axes. Adventure is in our blood.
There’s a growing body of research showing that novelty, exploration, and challenge activate neurological pathways associated with happiness and meaning. When we push past our comfort zone, our brain lights up. We feel alive. Fully present. Connected.
Modern life, for all its conveniences, rarely gives us that feeling. We move from screen to screen, routine to routine, comfort to comfort. Adventure interrupts that cycle. It reminds us that we are capable of far more than we give ourselves credit for. It reminds us that the world is wider, wilder, and more magnificent than the Western idea of busy living often allows.
When you take your first step on a trail, breathe thin air on a glacier, feel your heart surge from effort and awe, it’s like your biology remembers: Oh yes. This is who I am.
The Mountain is a Mirror (At Least for Me)
The higher you climb, the more clearly you see yourself. Adventure strips away the noise. On a mountain, there’s nowhere to hide from your fears, your ego, your insecurities, or your truth. You learn very quickly what drives you, what scares you, what matters to you most, and what you’re capable of when faced with adversity.
Some people think climbing is about conquering mountains. But truly, the only thing we ever conquer is those parts of ourselves we avoid in daily life. On the mountain, your internal talk matters. Your mindset matters. Your resilience matters. The stories you tell yourself matter. And it happens every single time, whether it’s your first trek to Everest Base Camp or your twentieth summit attempt. That’s why I call mountains a mirror!
Why We Climb Mountains
Though you must have found the answer, if you haven’t, here it is:
- We climb to remember that we’re alive.
- We climb because self-discovery waits for us at the altitude.
- We climb to find purpose when life feels empty, heavy, or directionless.
- We climb because humans were made to explore and to experience awe.
- We climb because adventure awakens parts of us that everyday life can’t reach.
And most importantly, we climb because every step, every breath, every challenge reveals something profound about who we are and who we can become.
A Message to You, From Caroline
If you’re reading this, maybe you’re curious about your own “why.” Maybe you’re seeking more meaning. Maybe you feel an urge inside you that you can’t quite name, a tug toward something different, something bigger, something more you.
Let me tell you: that feeling matters. That’s the spark. The calling. The beginning of your own adventure, whatever form it takes.
Whether you join us on the trails, climb a peak, dive into a new challenge, or simply start training for something you’ve always dreamed of, knowing that your journey is valid, powerful, and worthy.
And I’m here, cheering for you, step by step.
Because the truth is: we don’t climb to escape life… we climb so life doesn’t escape us.
That’s why I climb. To be alive!
Caroline Leon
