Mountain climbing is a great way to escape the rat race and be one with nature. Alas, your mountain climbing experiences can fade with time. The best way to prevent this is to keep a mountain climbing journal for your adventures.

Mountain Climbing Journals

Take a minute to give some consideration to your most recent mountain climbing experience. What sticks out in your mind? Now think about the first time you ever went mountain climbing. Undoubtedly, you remember few things about the geography, people you went with, particular mountain climbing routes and spectacular views. The experiences you’ve forgotten are lost to time. If you keep a mountain climbing journal, this won’t be the case.

There are famous instances of people keeping journals throughout time. Of course, Anne Frank’s Diary is the best example. In her diary, Anne kept a running commentary of the two years her family spent hiding from the Nazis. While your mountain climbing experiences better be more lighthearted, keeping a journal will let you remember them as the years pass.

A good mountain climbing journal combines a number of characteristics. First, it should be compact so you don’t have to take up unnecessary space for other things. Second, it should have a case to protect it from rain, spills and so on. Third, the journal should contain blank areas to write your notes. Fourth, the journal should contain cue spaces to remind you to keep notes on specific things. Cues should include:

1. Who you went mountain climbing with,
2. Where you camped and if you enjoyed it,
3. Who you met and contact information for them,
4. The geographic and weather conditions, and
5. Any unique things that occurred while mountain climbing.
6. The routes you took up the mountain and alternatives.
7. Any inside information provided by experienced locals.

At the end of the mountain climbing trip, you should be able to get the following from your journal:

1. Contact information for other climbers you met,
2. Enough detail to provide you or a friend with a guide if you climb the location a second time.
3. Memories to reflect upon years later, and
4. Something to pass on to your friends, children and grandchildren.

To get the most out of your mountain climbing journal, you should write in it just before you climb, as you summit and when you return. Doing so will give you an accurate picture of your thoughts throughout the climb.

Mountain climbing is a great way to commune with nature. Make sure to preserve the experience.