RR queried how much importance walkers attach to a summit view, and would we set out knowing there would be none?
Here are my own thoughts - others may differ.
The summit view is not the principle objective, but it can be a chunk of double metaphor icing on the cake.
The attraction is in just being amongst the mountains.
Often swirling cloud with glimpses through to mysterious crags and ridges is frequently more inspiring than brilliant views on sunny days, and in those dramatic circumstances I can fantasise that I maybe the first human to set foot there. Along with such enhanced perceptions there is the challenge of navigation which can be rewarding when successful, like a physical version of solving a crossword puzzle. The sentient human has an innate satisfaction with problem solving be it mental or physical - read Darwin.
As the wind freshens just below the final ridge you know you are close to the summit, and arrival there is always a matter of satisfaction in the achievement for its own sake, coupled with the aforementioned compensations on the ascent, regardless of view or no view. I have never found myself thinking that lack of view had nullified the experience. Descent from a Himalayan peak with odds against survival would be a different matter - you may well regret having set out in the first place, but this is not view related and something I have no experience of.
The most off-putting occurrences, although not view related, are non-stop rain and violent wind. The former is difficult to be philosophical about, except for the smugness of having bought some excellent clothing which is doing its job, and the latter has on two occasions made me turn back before getting to the summit, but even then I have retained powerful memories of exciting days in the hills.
I suppose the philosophical defence to myself is that if I don’t have a go there will be no reward, and if I do and the outcome is incomplete, I know that I have given it my best shot and retained, or maybe enhanced my own self respect.
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| Burnmoor Tarn from Scafell Pike - an old slide from the Sixties - for me it was worthwhile on a mediocre day - no views from the summit |
