"Mount Analogue"

[Waumbek]

. . . is an allegorical book by the French surrealist writer Rene Daumal. I have not read it. It looks like it might be a tough read. But I like this (translated) quotation from it:

"You cannot always stay on the summits. You have to come down again... So what’s the point? Only this: what is above knows what is below, what is below does not know what is above. While climbing, take note of all the difficulties along your path. During the descent, you will no longer see them, but you will know that they are there if you have observed carefully. There is an art to finding your way in the lower regions by the memory of what you have seen when you were higher up. When you can no longer see, you can at least still know. . ."

What is above knows what is below, what is below does not know what is above...a very nice answer to the perennial question, "why climb?"

 

[erugs]

Wow, I really like that a lot. Thanks for posting a bit of inspiration we can bring along with us and consider as we climb.

 

[funkyfreddy]

I read Mt. Analogue a long time ago.... believe it was inspired by the author's involvement with the Gurdjieff work and is VERY allegorical, LOL.

As far as the Gurdjieff work goes..... don't get me started! Could be a wonderfully long discussion around a camp fire this summer if folks are in a certain frame of mind.....

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Rene Daumal's Mont Analogue was "required reading" at my university's Outing Club. Thanks for posting, Waumbek.

The only other mountain quotation that I recall in full (or near full?) from those univeristy days is: "It is my opinion that by subjecting oneself to the pure and focused experience of survival, accompanied by a careful introspection, one can gain an ultimate in self control." Source anyone?