Q: As a fellow outdoor enthusiast, I am in the constant pursuit of goals while seeking adventure. However, I read about so many alpine writers/journalists who constantly push the limits to "bag peaks." The environment is exploited without any sentiment of reciprocity. It seems posterity is the goal for adventure seekers. Many do not stop and think, Do I really belong here? And if these places are so special, should they be written about for others to exploit? Do these issues concern you?

—R. J. Kern
Lawton, Oklahoma

These issues definitely do concern me. Climbing is my passion in life, but I often stop to wonder if there's a point to it. After all, isn't it a bit silly to dedicate your life to climbing rocks and mountains? Ultimately, climbing is a somewhat selfish pursuit—no one gets much out of it other than you.

However, I do believe strongly that it is possible to explore and climb in the mountains without "exploiting" them. Many climbers that I know (myself included) practice minimum impact, Leave No Trace Ethics—the entire point being to leave the environment in its pristine condition. On several of my expeditions we have organized base-camp cleanups, and spent extra time and money to leave an area cleaner than we found it.

I don't really believe that there are places in the world where humans don't belong (except perhaps toxic waste dumps). As someone who has dedicated his life to adventure, I find that I usually get the biggest charge when I'm exploring hostile environments—they're wild! And if I leave only footprints and take only photos, where is the harm? Writing about places may indeed bring in more traffic, but my impression has always been that it's relatively short lived and the articles are long forgotten a year or two down the road. And if you happen to inspire someone to head out into the wild and have a peak experience of their own, all the power to you.