Scrambler27 of Flickr, or Rich Sobel... sparked some memories and musings this last while of our friends and my own adventure 'traditions'... Rich says of his tradition in how he has: "Used this hat for more years than I care to remember and locals recognize me from a distance... I got into the habit of taking a picture of my hat at the summit... It's become sorta like the gnome that travels in the movie Amelie...".For years I took pictures of the views from all four points of the compass while on a summit and for decades now have gathered small cobbles from waterfalls, coastal beaches, and stones too from trails and summits themselves... The rituals climbers have when contributing to those cherished summit registers includes many creative and thoughtful gestures placed up at altitude. I have read so many priceless comments in these tiny journals...
For many, old favored adventure traditions reflect very meaningful memories of life shaping experiences out there...With special people, in wild places difficult to reach, or of gear used time and again... I always take extra time at the summit of my last climb of the year to visualize the routes, altitude, and musings gained that season...
This process of creating traditions is all about meaning; enthusiasm; humour and fun; both very personal and shared...
I remember... old prayer flags, gently waving among the incense of pine trees and the shared tradition behind placing them...
I remember... a certain Guide's tradition, who would chant quietly, to the mountain spirits in gratitude for sharing their stone secrets with her...
I remember... an Outward Bound Instructors tradition, of lifting each member of our group, high into the air... supported on our hands as a bird would fly over our summit that day...
I remember... a close climbing partner, who would always turn, and face our chosen mountain when we were descending, from alpine to treeline, as a gesture of respect and gratitude...
I remember... the tradition of telling stories... time and again, of elusive adventures, high lands, and wild places...
I remember... a fellow kayaker, who would make such beautiful prints in the sand of our island beaches, in an Eastern tradition of creating symbols of balance & power... only which then would be slowly brushed away by the rising tide...
And of course... there is my own tradition these many years, of gathering, painting, and anonymously placing these small Summit Stones, in a tradition of giving back and passing forward...
I will be watching for that hat Rich... and thank you for re-minding me of the lasting importance of our adventure traditions...
DSD
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