Mystic Forest

Mystic Forest was the name of this photo that inspired me to tell a story, to go with the image. How about comparing your life situation to that of climbing a mountain? Imagine that you have vast experience, the strength stamina and determination. Your objective is to reach the one crowning achievement of your career.

Next thing you know, weather changes and we must wait. Above the treeline is too exposed to the elements, into the forest is safer and better shelter. Now, here we are in the metaphoric mystic “silicon” forest, and get back thinking and planning for the opportunity to continue upward. When the sun light lifts the mist and drives clouds over the mountain, it’s time to go

All the great summits require an incredible amount of planning, training and execution. The entire expedition is expertly mapped, marked and laid-out, every stage and step are things that you have done before. Now it’s all about execution, step after step and camp after camp. Upward and upward it gets harder and harder.

Faith in God and Providence

The mystical forest is safe and comfortable, once the first step in taken, out of it’s warm embrace, survival becomes tough. The timing must be perfect, or you better stay in the woods. Getting to the base camp is relatively easy, everything after that is more and more of a trudge but your expertise was earned by experience and practice. Determination and a burning desire to succeed, can get you all the way to the top camp.

In mountain climbing there’s a level called the “death zone” because of the lack of oxygen but also the level of exhaustion for anyone who arrives there. On the most legendary K2 routes, the climbers have to pass “the Bottle-neck” and other extremely technical manoeuvres.

Virtual flight around K2

The cost of the climb

No, not that cost. The cost of entry by way of personal sacrifice. What does it cost? The cost to stand where we stand and do what we do. The answer: It’s enormous. (words of a climber)

The idea of reaching success in life does not need to be as dramatic, as dying on a sub-zero cliff face, in a far away land but if we have no vision of an achievement, then we are stuck in the woods. The forest is home to all creatures great and small but the mountaintop is waiting.

Timing is everything, when you make your break for the summit, pace yourself and make it happen. Camp 4 is that place where you know you need to take stock of your fuel, get a good rest, wait for the time and then give it all you got!

Life is a series of summits, my advice is; that it’s better to make them happen, then be forced to wait in the mist of the forest.