"A Deeper Sense..."

"When you are there, whether it's for the afternoon or for the evening, you are a climber.
That's your purpose.
And it all seems to make sense when you are doing it.
It seems to make sense of the rest of your life because it's summed up.
That's the area where climbing can become an art, because it allows for individual expression.
Mountaineering creates an interest in a deeper sense...".  T.I.M. Lewis

"Of Learning..."

"He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying...".  F. Nietsche 

"Our Shared Winding Stairs..."

"All rising to great places is by a winding stair...".  F. Bacon

"Envisionings..."

"We climb upon our vision of ourselves...".   O. Marden
To dream, to envision, then to wander.
Has there ever been as many opportunities for adventure..... DSD   

"An Outward Bound Dedication..."

To ponder is one thing. to muse another. 
Reflection is wonderful, and dreaming is a gift. 
We have such abilities to envision all that we so want to wander among and through. Our minds create the possibilities, and then it is time to climb further... 
"Put some boots on your dreams", our Outward Bound Instructor said. 
Then we were to learn of the wild places beyond contemplation; of the terrain of taking actions. These were steps on trails of another kind, towards horizons of dreams now made very real. 
'Boots on our dreams' - a so potent shared metaphor, said so long ago to us, long pondered over many more seasons, and now passed forward once more to all of you Dear Friends..... DSD 

Dedicated this adventure day to all our wonderful Outward Bound Schools.

"Blue Mountain Spirit..."

"Big blue mountain spirit,

Away in the home made of blue clouds,

I am grateful for that way of goodness there,

That sets my heart free...".

Aboriginal Saying 

"Our Shared Mountain Spirit..."

"Shan: Mountain. The ancients believed that there was something called the mountain spirit...". Deng Ming-Dao  

"More Than ever..."

"Today, more than ever before, life must be characterized by a sense of Universal responsibility, not only Nation to Nation, and human to human, but human to all other forms of life...".  The Dalai Lama

"Farther Friends..."

"A friend is, as it were, a second self...".  M.T. Cicero

Thank you for sharing these images my Friends.

"Further Friends..."

"The best mirror is an old friend...".  G. Herbert

"Of The Sea..."

"There is no place in my adventure lexicon for cynicism, criticism, and doubt.
Instead, I've learned to listen, accept, and record...
You will understand the sea when you get there.
It will speak to you...
After blasting through the surf, I bobbed on the residual storm swell and settled into the silent, mantric repetition of paddling...".  J. Turk

"Of Perspectives..."

"As you sit on the hillside,
Or lie prone under the trees of the forest,
Or sprawl wet-legged by a mountain stream,
The great door,
That does not look like a door,
Opens...".   
S. Graham
To sleep, to dream, to wander, then to muse...
What wonderful perspectives are gifted to us then... DSD   

"Of Ripples..."

"I feel as though I found meaning while walking in the woods... A pebble thrown into a pond creates ripples of water which sends ripples into the air and so on and so forth... This rippling effect followed me back into society and strengthened my beliefs in the interconnectedness of all things. It boosted my beliefs that people must be good to each other, as the ripples aren't just in the water, but in the conversations and actions we have with each other...".  S. Haraldson  

"Endless Blue Mountains..."

Amidst winters deep embrace upon the wilds.

Endless mist and mystery among the valleys.

A windy breath so very cold.

Sun too though upon frozen waters.

With crystal jewels all a shining.

Clear sky reflections, endless blue mountains.

Crisp sounds to ponder,

Now time to wander.....  DSD  

"Dwelling In The Blue Mountains..."

"You ask me why I dwell in the blue mountains.

I smile and make no reply for my heart is free of care.

As the peach blossom flows down stream and is gone into the unknown.

I have a world apart that is not among men...".

Li Bai

"As This Season Unfolds Abbey's Blessing First Heard On Outward Bound..."

"May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing views.
May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.
May your rivers flow without end, meandering through pastoral valleys tinkling with bells, past temples and castles and poet's towers into a dark primeval forest where tigers belch and monkeys howl, through miasmal and mysterious swamps and down into a desert of red rock, blue mesas, domes and pinnacles and grottos of endless stone, and down again into a deep vast ancient unknown chasm where bars of sunlight blaze on profiled cliffs, where deer walk across white sand beaches, where storms come and go as lightning clangs upon high crags, where something strange and more beautiful and more full of wonder than your deepest dreams waits for you - beyond that next turning of the canyon walls...".  E. Abbey

My sincere appreciation for sharing your image with us.  

"For Fur, Feathers, And Fins Friday's: Our Adventure Animus..."

Everyone seems to agree it is fundamental.
Many have seen its impact.
Most have felt it presence.
While all know the truth of its origins.
Yet we all tend to describe and express our own 'Adventure Animus' in such unique and different ways.
Our 'Animus' is that spirit that animates our inner self.
That which moves each of us. That endless source of personal energy and drive, passion and pride, motive and enthusiasm, our courage and initiative.
Some say the substance of our Adventure Animus is drawn from the mind, the rational, the sensible - our intention and will.
Others feel that the essence of Animus to adventure out there is more about instinct and inner impulse, from our true primal self, even our archetype.
All would likely agree though, that the Animus is indeed the storm that moves us, and those winds we ride upon, the very way we breath life in, and that essential spirit we seek for discovering why we do what we do out in the wild places.
When you sense yours, Dear Finder, your own vital Adventure Animus, where will you next wander.....   DSD  

"Of Eternity And Stones..."

"The Stone grows old.
Eternity is for stones.
But I shall go down from this airy space.
This swift white peace.
This singing exultation.
And time will close about me.
My soul stir to the rhythm.
Of the the daily round.
Yet, having known.
Life will not then press so close.
Always will I feel time ravel thin around me.
For once I stood.
In the white windy presence of eternity...".  E. Tietjens

"Look Up. Look Way Up..."

Such a subtle transformation it was...
One of the processes of alchemy that Outward Bound Instructors are so well known for, as they lead wondering wanderers out there for their first time.
It was at the beginning of our course, with those heavy packs, the unknowns before us, some with new boots, others with doubts and fears, all inexperienced adventurers.
All of us were heads down it seemed, when hiking, when climbing, even as it felt at times when we were resting too.
If we looked up at all we would catch that inspiring glimpse of one of our leaders, head up, relaxed and contemplative. Mostly of us, but also of their surroundings, and even of something maybe not really seen, likely more elusive for those of us so new to these highlands.
As we so journeyed, we were coached and encouraged to keep our heads up. Initially because we would likely breath better, Later it was more about awareness... Of the wild places we were moving among, and the unfolding experiences we were going through.
As the long days became deep nights, and the nights evolved back to enduring days, then further to expansive hours, and more finally slowed to moments - one by one we individually found ourselves more heads up.
We began recognizing this in each other, and also saw the ongoing smiles this sparked within each of us.
The packs were still heavy. The terrain just as challenging. The footing as tricky at times. But we were no longer existing just with heads down.
These wild place perspectives had changed us as we had evolved farther while journeying through them.
From heads down. To heads up.
From enduring to enjoying.
From doubts to confidence. 
From looking to knowing.
From unknowns to welcoming embracements.
From just tired meandering to blissful wandering.
All with our heads up, way up, held high, with great big full wonderful smiles to be found upon everyone's faces.
Heads up my friends..... DSD    

For Outward Bound  

"Of Wandering and Wondering..."

"People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet they pass by themselves without wondering". St. Augustine