Mountains – A Field Guide

Why climb a mountain? Why challenge yourself at all? Like many things in life, climbing a mountain is all about putting one foot in front of the other. Working away, bit by bit, towards a lofty goal. C’mon, let’s go! Every step counts.

Climb That Goddamn Mountain

What better natural phenomenon than the mountain to kick off a month of adventure? Mountains represent challenge, trying things that scare us, and the risk of failure. In many ways, they’re a perfect metaphor for life.

We’ve pulled together some of our most inspiring stories from the Explorer crew. People who did things they never thought possible, or found deep insights when things went wrong.

We also asked the mental health experts at batyr about goals and consistency and, of course, pulled together our favourite mountains to climb in Australia and New Zealand.

Remember, your weekly challenge only has to be a challenge to you; whether that’s going rock climbing for the first time, walking up a big set of stairs outdoors, or summiting a nearby peak.

How To Get Involved

Step 1: Sign up to Unlock Outside – you can join in any time!

Step 2: For 5 weeks from the start of November go on an adventure that suits the week’s theme

Step 3: Upload a photo or video of your adventure to social media and tag @we_are_explorers, #unlockoutside and the week (e.g. #mountains)

Step 4: This will automatically put you in the draw to win that week’s epic prize pack

Prize pack: Two prizes, a pair of Osprey Aether/Ariel Plus hiking packs or a Nemo Dagger 2P tent

Tips From batyr on Reaching the Summit

Make SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-based). Break down your mountain into small sections or sprints.
Think strategically about a pathway before you start. What could cause you to lose sight of your goal?
Put one foot in front of the other. Small steps every day towards well being will keep you on the right track.

Learn More From batyr