30 years before Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay successfully climbed Everest, British explorer George Mallory gave it a couple tries. On his fundraising tour for his third attempt, he was asked why he wanted to climb the mountain, to which he famously replied, “Because it’s there.” On its face, this sounds disproportionately casual, equal to someone saying they ate that pile of donuts 'because it’s there.' Mallory actually meant it with a spirit of reverence, meaning that as humans, we are compelled to overcome challenges, no matter how difficult. (Unfortunately, on their third attempt, Mother Nature felt compelled to kill Mallory and his climbing partner.)
Mountaineering is a somewhat vague term, as it encompasses a lot of different disciplines and skills. Purists set the distinction somewhere in the vicinity of: ‘If you need specialized training, equipment, and planning to get to the summit, then it’s Mountaineering’. The distinction is somewhat important, because lots of mountains can be summited after a not too strenuous hike, with nothing more than some sturdy boots, a bottle of water, and a couple of granola bars. Conversely, some mountains, ‘El Capitan’ in Yosemite is the typical example, are summited strictly through ‘rock climbing’, and not mountaineering.
Having said that, whether you’re out for a day hike or tackling a Himalayan peak, whether it’s easy or unbelievably hard, when you successfully get to the top, make sure you shout loud enough for the ghost of Mallory to hear, 'BECAUSE IT’S THERE!!!'
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