Last week the New York Times published an article discussing the new breed of mountain climbers – those that strive to achieve mountain summits in record times.

While I am a novice mountaineer and love climbing mountain peaks, I have yet to attempt to break time records.

For me, it is about enjoying the scenery and taking my time to connect with nature. For others, it is a matter of setting personal records. One of the most famous mountaineers with a stop watch is Ueli Steck, also known as the Swiss Machine. For those of you who haven’t seen it yet, his impressive climb (run!) up Mt. Eiger is an amazing video.

In my view, individuals should have the right to pursue their goals, whether it is to get to a mountain top in a certain amount of time, or enjoying nature and finding their own way to fulfillment.

What do you think?