A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, with the death toll tragically surpassing 7,000, drawing global mourning. Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs also urgently searched for missing persons after the quake, continuously tallying travelers who were in Nepal at the time — nearly 300 in total, many of whom were part of organized mountaineering tours. Why climb mountains? And why go all the way to Nepal to scale Mount Everest?
Mount Everest is a Tibetan term meaning “Goddess Mother of the World,” hence its commonly translated name — Mount Qomolangma, or as it’s more widely known in Taiwan, Mount Everest. It is the tallest peak on Earth, part of the Himalayas, situated on the border between mainland China and Nepal. It’s said that “strolling at the foot of Everest and gazing up at the summit allows you to feel life being humbled by the desolation and silence, making you feel small yet clear amidst the purity of the universe. Every step closer to Everest demands an additional measure of effort and emotion. When you experience the confrontation and communication between human and mountain, spirit and nature, when you’re fortunate enough to see her with your own eyes, when your trembling heart feels her presence — then the scenery and the moment become absolutely real.”
Putting all that aside for a moment, mountain climbing is one of the best ways for us to connect with nature — observing wildlife along the trails, listening to the chirps of insects in the grass and birdsongs in the woods; venturing into forests to enjoy a forest bath and be cleansed by phytoncides; admiring the lush greenery and inhaling the fragrance of wildflowers; washing away the dust of the busy urban world and calming the soul. Scaling high mountains also allows you to immerse yourself in clouds and mist, experiencing the spectacle of sea of clouds — especially from Taiwan’s majestic Central Mountain Range, which soars impressively into the sky. The view from above is truly breathtaking.
However, the joy of mountaineering isn’t limited to scenery appreciation. The greatest thrill lies in reaching the summit. Summiting is a demanding trek requiring both physical strength and endurance, pushing the limits of your fitness. Only after taking such risks can you truly savor the awe-inspiring dominance over surrounding peaks and the triumphant feeling of standing atop the world.
Mount Everest, the roof of the world, remains covered in snow and ice year-round. Climbers must adhere to the “2 o’clock rule” — the summit push must be completed by 2 PM, or else turn back. Delayed summits increase the risk of encountering snowstorms during descent, which can be fatal. Most fatalities occur above 8,000 meters, with avalanches and accidental falls being the two leading causes. Therefore, successfully reaching the summit and returning safely is a lifetime honor.
In this light, such ultimate thrills of life are best understood by mountaineers, rock climbers, and extreme sports enthusiasts. What brings true happiness is not money or power, but the sense of achievement through adventure — including overcoming challenges in the moment and wholehearted dedication throughout the process, akin to Zen’s concept of singular focus, where one controls their consciousness and achieves self-realization.
Being able to control consciousness and achieve self-realization is what’s known as the Flow experience, a theory proposed by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. He describes the Flow experience as “doing something for the sake of doing it, where the experience itself is so enjoyable that one is willing to pay a great price to do it.” In a state of Flow, individuals become one with what they are doing, driven strongly toward achieving their goals and fulfilling inner desires. As a result, some scholars translate it as “being in the zone.” This state leads to a genuinely joyful and fulfilling life.
Such a state aligns with another psychologist Abraham Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs,” which outlines five human needs: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization, with a later-added highest need in later life: self-transcendence and the “peak experience” of unity with the cosmos. He believed human behavior is influenced by various levels of underlying needs, and as long as those needs remain unmet, they can serve as motivational drivers affecting actions. Physiological and safety needs are primal instincts, while emotions and esteem, which emerge with evolution, are higher-level needs. The highest levels of self-actualization and peak experiences involve taking risks to unlock human potential, thereby achieving self-fulfillment and the euphoric sensation of unity with the universe. This is the ultimate pursuit of those who consider themselves winners in life.
One of the victims of this Nepal earthquake was Dan Fredinburg, a senior executive at Google’s mysterious X lab. He liked to call himself an “adventurer, inventor, and hyper-energetic engineer.” Along with his team, he traveled to some of the most remote places on Earth, capturing 360-degree panoramic photos for use in Google Earth. TIME Magazine reported that Dan contributed significantly by creating numerous interactive images of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. Now, his friends want Dan’s story to live on and inspire others, so they’ve created the LiveDan website to encourage people to chase their dreams just like Dan. A friend of Dan wrote: “Live like Dan — treat life as an adventure.” Dan’s sister Megan posted on Instagram: “He was one of a kind… He believed everyone could conquer their boldest dreams. He lived twice the life in half the time.” The LiveDan site features glimpses of Dan’s life, his messages, his plans to help orphans, his joys and values — it’s well worth a visit and offers much to learn from.
(Author: President of Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, Professor at National Taiwan University Department of Economics)