The Spirit of Adventure Around the Fire
After a day spent climbing, we all surrounded the fire. The fire was beautiful, filling the darkness with colour. Not only with colour but also with the sound of breaking branches. And not only with the sound but also with warmth and opportunity for storytelling.
Standing very close to the fire was not possible, unless you want to become one. Staying far from the orange circle this night was a risky choice, hearing the whisper of the early winter arrival, no one was interested in that. Finding the balance, the right position where you can comfortably sit and absorb everything that comes from the fire is what everyone did. I lifted my head up, and I realised that If someone jumped and made an effort with their hands, we would probably have a star next to us on the ground. The stars were so close to the earth, to our fire. Some people started singing, others lifted the wine glass beyond their neck, and others, like myself, dived deep into a conversation. Some people were just staring at the fire.
I love these situations. A group of like-minded people are sitting in a circle by the fire. They are people who want to climb, be outdoors all day, sit by the fire when the sun is slipping away in the evening, and speak about life experiences. When you look into the fire, you are looking at the source of humanity. Billions of stories were shared among people sitting by the fire late at night. After too many laughs, stories, and funny comments, one by one, people started going to take some well-deserved rest. Few of us left, and we just started our journey across stories that could become great books, but they were just words that disappeared in the fire. Some of the words I remember.
“To not be dead doesn't mean we are alive”. I didn't say anything when I heard that. I was listening to people's stories about their adventures in the mountains. I am always seeking stories that can motivate me to explore and be more productive, inspire and make me think. Why do people love mountains? Why are we so engaged in the outdoors? What drives us? We touch on every question and dive deep into the details. Nothing was true, and maybe everything was true. When you return from a mountain, tired and dirty, you realise everything you did has meaning. And that is very repetitive. It's impossible to understand why you love going to the mountains before going, you need to come back and feel it. Someone told me that simply being outside is what drives him. The sense of exploration is what drives me to the outdoors, and for someone else, it is something else.
It was almost midnight, and almost an hour had passed since we left the last branch. The fatigue came, we were active all day. Tomorrow was another great day climbing above the woods. After several hours of sleep, the sun came again, marking the day as officially started. What we do with our time, that's matter, that’s who we are.
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