I just noticed that it's Henry David Thoreau's 200th Birthday today!
Among his many other commendable works (writing on civil disobedience, early steps towards environmentalism, epic beard), there are quite a few bits of his writing that feel like they should resonate with climbers and hillwalkers.
This, from Walden for instance:
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms..."
Any other fans here?
