Rucksack- check; snow goggles- check; Water-proof poncho- check; trekking shoes- check; all other essentials- check; a heart brimming with excitement and adrenaline- check. Wait, is this inventory (though I haven’t mentioned all the necessary items to stuff inside one’s sack) missing out on something?
A pen and a notebook; they would seal the deal.
Individuals well-versed in or possessing a bit of mountaineering knowledge would know the importance of documentation. It’s simple; just inhale every ounce of fresh air, be present mentally, and jot or type down all those savory experiences which charge up your senses and land you in an ecstatic limbo.
Of course, clicking away fabulous snapshots through that DSLR lens or your 30 megapixel phone camera is definitely another medium of documentation. Whatever it is, just keep recording.
So a soul reverberating with true adventurous vibes would try to pause and etch on his or her heart every little moment of pleasure on a journey. Those tiny blood red fruits on a plant nodding its head assertively at the sun, that steep muddy slope where your buttery feet lost grip, the fluffy feline ball of fur that purred and rubbed her head affectionately against your knee, and so much more would find a place in the pages of your diary.
After a long time, that might seem like decades or centuries of your tiring and busy life, taking down that dusty diary from a shelf (or opening that document on Google drive), flipping through those pages and getting overwhelmed by the wave of words washing down on you would be a great delight indeed.
When I had spent a survival night at our base camp (approx. 10,000 feet) with my BMC batch mates outside our tents in the chilling cold, having set up makeshift shelter or none at all, the millions of glittering stars had turned the sky into a scintillating cosmic artwork exhibition, with numerous jewels strewn across the dark canvas in patterns unknown to our conscious minds.
The joy of scribbling down this spectacle on paper and expressing my mental composure at that time was veritably satisfying. A beautiful experience like this might uplift our souls in an unprecedented manner, and making a written record of it would reinforce this. It might also touch someone else’s heart out there, and help him or her to find peace and courage.
The next time you embark on an adventure, do not cease recording every moment that talks to your soul.
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the high altitude wallflower 
Beautifully penned!
Documenting experiences on the trail has helped me and my friends revisit memories that would have been lost otherwise.
The joy of revisiting a scene of bonhomie that can only be borne out of witnessing one another in their embarrassed states, of gratitude after being helped on a difficult stretch and of experiences so profound that they left everyone speechless – documentation, in visual or written form, is a gift that keeps on giving 🙂
Cheers!
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