achievement or experience ?

[goofball]

i have always been curious about this one and the cheesebox post brought it to my mind again.

what is your main goal upon entering a canyon - achievement or experience ?

achievement - "conquering" the canyon. facing the tasks of moving thru it and overcoming them.

experience - marveling in the moment and the forces of nature which made it possible.

so for myself i have always been an experience type. backpacking/hiking is all about solitude and getting far from the maddening crowd. seeing something that there isn't a bajillion pics or posts on already. if i see and read all that stuff, it is like i have already been there and the awe and wonder of self discovery have been destroyed - it can never be. if i ask about a destination and no one replys, either by choice or by unfamiliarity, or 1 or 2 responses come and are very vague but promote the destination, THAT is where i want to go. trails are good for accessing the trailless areas and that is it. canyoneering has been much harder to have a honest experience. nature of the beast in large part. it is not as simple as putting a pack on the back and just walking. much higher risk. and even more so, my time is limited to be able enjoy nature, so i usually stick to the sure thing. whatever the format, just being still and soaking it up is my motivation. i am very based in my senses. the feel of the rock, the sound of the wind, the scent of rain or flora, the sight of a bull elk thundering his harem out of a grove to the cover of forest, the taste of dirt from the car in front of me (ok, so maybe NOT that one, but you get the point). i definitely like the challenge as well when entering the not fully known. but even the challenge is something to experience, and afterward it is the experience itself, much more so than the achievement of it, that floats my boat. and i want to prolong that experience for as long as i am able.

or am i defining "experience" based upon my own philosophy ? if people did not enjoy the activity i am sure they wouldn't partake of it in the long term. and not say that i believe time spent is the only qualifier of experience. i guess for me it is a biggie though.

just curious...

[rockgremlin]

Short answer is.....yes.

[stefan]

just curious...

i definitely smell what you're cookin' here. but i would like to say two things.

while i know some get off on the challenge presented in slot canyons and difficult hikes/climbs, i would call this experience too, as you are experiencing first hand the dramatic nature of the canyon. i think the difference is how you experience it; do you focus on the technical nature of it or is the technical nature simply a nuance of the canyon. the latter describes my experience, but definitely adds spice to the canyon, a little bit of cayenne and coriander.

also, i am partial to both the open unknown space and the trail, though less so the manicured trail. i guess i don't always NEED to feel as if i am a pioneer/explorer, though quite often i am drawn to such places. often i feel that, while seeing pictures before hand can give you a perspective on the place, they are soon erased and replaced by my own experience there. i guess i just don't like the idea of discounting a place just because it's well know or well traveled or well photographed.

my 2

[goofball]

no, not trying to cook up anything. just wondered how many here swung which way. i have heard more than once from people that it is not about fun. of course it IS fun, but that is not the primary purpose. they are just different approaches. i often feel i should be more achievement oriented, maybe then i would have more than a shoestring for a budget, and could already be on divorce #3 as well. maybe one day...

[Iceaxe]

Now days its the Experience with me...... a long time ago it was probably the Achievement.....

Mostly its just for the Fun!!!

[Scott P]

Acheivement is what you get after the completion. Experience is what you get while you are completing something.