Adventure
is one of the most important, and certainly one of the most exciting
words in the language. It means going forwards, being curious and wanting
to look round the corner, rather than sitting back and taking life easy.
It is also a word used to describe a range of outdoor activities that
captivate, if not consume, millions of people: climbing and mountain
walking; canoeing and sailing; expeditioning and camping to name but
a few. Anyone who has tasted adventure is likely to experience the thrill
of such activities. There is almost certainly an instinct for adventure
to be found in all young people. This instinct needs socially and environmentally
acceptable outlets. What better way to adventure than in the outdoors.
After all, humans are part of Nature and, once away from urban areas,
the natural world so often gives that unique sense of freedom.
Another
very important word is Awareness. For those who adventure in the Lake
District for example, it is important to be aware of the inevitable
impact of 12 million visitors each year to the National Park with its
unique special qualities. Wherever people congregate in large numbers,
then various forms of pressure can become commonplace. Without real
awareness the user or adventurer can begin to destroy that which he
loves. The natural resource- the crag, the lake, the fell- is finite
and vulnerable to erosion and pollution. The quality of experience can
so easily be diminished. The Adventure and Environmental Awareness Group
was set up specifically by adventurers and environmentalists to work
out solutions to the inevitable problems stemming from the sheer popularity
of such activities.
Awareness
should include not just protecting the natural environment but an acceptance
of the possibility that:
Everything
in Nature is alive and seeks its own well being.
Everything
in Nature is on its own adventure journey (a tiny flower, for instance,
faces a severe challenge even to exist).
Everything
in Nature, no matter how small, is of equal importance, including
humans.
If you
feel such statements are too radical then it may be worth remembering
that we are all part of Nature. No one completely understands the mystery
of the unity of the natural world. At the same time there is little
doubt that the human race has already destroyed much of that natural
world.
Beyond
the immediate enjoyment of the challenge of an adventure you may come
to see the importance of another word, Respect. For example, a sunset
seen from a hilltop should command respect because, like us, it is part
of nature. As experience develops in the outdoors, there may come a
sense of the most important word of all, that of Love.
To have
awareness, respect and love for adventure and it’s natural locations,
is to begin to understand the mystery of how we are inextricably linked
to the whole of the natural world. It is also a journey to that deep
inner contentment that is so elusive in a modern man-made world.
Colin
Mortlock is a founder member and former chairman of the AEA Group. He
is author of “ The Adventure Alternative” and “Beyond
Adventure”.
