Alpinism and Religion

Interested in everyone's opinion on the connection (or nonconnection) of climbing mountains and and how it relates to their religious beliefs.

For me it is avocational - draws me away from my main daily vocations to be renewed and reconnect with myself, other people (in different and more playful ways than daily life), and the earth, from which I am made and to which I'll return. At my more serious moments I sometimes have thought of it as kenotic, but that doesn't seem right to me now.

Mostly it's just fun and God wants us to have fun, despite what some may say. 

A connection between alpinism and religion...I do not think so, maybe spiritualism.

I probably should have stated my basis for asking the question.  I had just been reading an article about mountains and religion and how the subject had been covered in an international religeous conference.  I found it very interesting how many of the world's religions made the connection between the two subjects.

Oh, I see! Yes, many people and religions have thought of gods as residing in or on mountains. Pyramids are an intriguing expression of this. This is still very much the case in places today!

In the some of cultures that the Pentateuch was written, gods did reside in mountains. Psalm 121 for example is a statement of monotheism over and against these other gods: "I lift my eyes up to the hills, from where does my help come?" Which god will save me?

Sounds like an interesting conference! Could deepen the meaning of climbing for sure!

https://www.aptonline.org/offer/MYSTERY-OF-THE-MOUNTAIN-HIDDEN-IN-PLAIN-VIEW

This was pretty interesting. I'd be curious if anyone knows anything about prohibitions on climbing holy mountains. 

SThal wrote: https://www.aptonline.org/offer/MYSTERY-OF-THE-MOUNTAIN-HIDDEN-IN-PLAIN-VIEW

This was pretty interesting. I'd be curious if anyone knows anything about prohibitions on climbing holy mountains. 

Look at the Navajo Nation. 

The mountains inspire awe. Awe is a spiritual experience. The last time I prayed was several years ago, in the mountains during a moment of pure awe, despite being an atheist. I just felt I needed to give thanks to something for such an amazing experience. Makes sense that there would be a connection between religion and the mountains, even if believing in a higher power doesn't make any sense. 

STahl, yes there are mountains forbidden to climb.  One such is that in Tibet Mt. Kailash. It is sacred to 5 different religions.  The article I was referring to and that is very interesting reading is Mountains and Mysticism by Connor Wood on Patheos.com.

Thanks for the responses.  Just the kinds of input I was looking for.

Approaching safety practices in a religious way might be better for safety than approaching them analytically (because analysis can overlook things).  The price for this is false positives - a religious approach would likely impose some "safety" requirements that don't actually matter.

God made the mountains and I'm blessed enough to have the opportunity to climb them if I choose! Also makes me remember how small I am compared to Jesus. The mountains bowed down to Him and I barely can scramble up the easy stuff haha. Also, Moses was the first Mountaineer, making his way up Mt. Sanai like a boss and coming down with more weight than he went up with!

Sacred Mountains of The World covers exactly what the title says. An interesting book.

https://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Mountains-World-Edwin-Bernbaum/dp/0871567121/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1546382446&sr=1-1&keywords=Sacred+Mountains+of+the+World

rob.calm

Serge Smirnov wrote: Approaching safety practices in a religious way might be better for safety than approaching them analytically (because analysis can overlook things).  

So... "god is my belay anchor"?

Jesus built my ice tools. It's a love affair, mainly Jesus and my ice tools.

So there was only one thing I could do. Was ding a ding dang my dang a long ling long.

mediocre wrote:

Look at the Navajo Nation. 

Yes - the Navajo and their monuments ... although more of a religious reverence than an inclination to ascend?  Much of this I say is based on their official position that their monuments must not be climbed.

For the long-ago european ancestors, I suspect mountains evoked more fear than any attraction like “alpinism” evokes.   But I am no historian on the subject ... just a little bit of reading.

Jaren Watson wrote:

This isn’t the place to minister to your fellow climbers. Yea, I say unto thee, take thy ministry elsewhere.

I fear the Ministry is lost on thee.

I am atheist, so no connection. 

SThal wrote: 

In the some of cultures that the Pentateuch was written, gods did reside in mountains.[?] 

No. If we are going to get fancy here and start throwing out the big words - this is actually THE thing that sent the Abrahamic religions apart from the others of the Near East. In Genesis (first book of the Torah/Pentateuch) it is the very fact that god/the gods don't reside anywhere physical, and are literally transcendent above the world below that sets it apart. 

In answer to the OP, I could swear that I got this from Freedom of the Hills, maybe I am making that up but, "I would rather be in the mountains thinking about god, than in church thinking about the mountains." 

I am an atheist, and sometimes an alpinist, but one doesn't have to believe in the divine to understand and appreciate the numinous.

When I try and explain cold, scary alpinism to people that actually know mountains, Nietzsche, who knew a thing or two about religion can get the point across. "And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you." Few alpinists need to look to the footnote to explain that one. Usually they put the book down and stare at the wall for a while. You know who you are.

SThal wrote:This was pretty interesting. I'd be curious if anyone knows anything about prohibitions on climbing holy mountains. 

Devils Tower.

There is no god(s), so any connection you dream up is as made up as the invisible diety you believe in.