Scaling All Everests

Ancient people thought of mountain-tops as the inaccessible abode of gods and spirits. By the 19th century, the majesty of mountain scenery became an inspiration and an irresistible challenge, which was summed up by the British mountaineer George Mallory, who, when asked why men should want to scale Mt Everest, replied, "Because it's there".

We all have our personal Everests: It's up to us whether to climb them or to walk around them. Victorian poet Robert Browning said, "Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?"

A mountain or a heaven is not exactly mountain and heaven in the strict literal sense. Rather, they're the metaphors for excellence, achievements, accomplishments and feats in life.


A mountain, however insurmountable it may appear, is a challenge for humans to scale it. Remember, there's no fate that cannot be surmounted by scorn. Despite the deaths of many mountaineers, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay didn't give up and finally summited the Everest. In life, there're so many hurdles to face and so many mountains to scale. Keep surging ahead even if you fail.

December 11 is International Mountain Day