I would say I have a good relationship with the mountains, even though I am not a hiker. I like them mostly for the atmosphere there always is and the pristine nature. When I am in the mountains i feel like I am somewhere else, where are only rules of the nature and one has to be respectful towards them. It is easy to forget that humans may be ruling the world but some places still have power over us and in order to safely return from them we have to respect the nature and not go there with the mindset of conquering the place at whatever cost.

Mountains give me feeling of serenity and wisdom. Maybe it is because they seem eerie in the way that we do not know what is hidden in the forests, unless we explore them all, but I think that obsessive mapping should not be anyone’s goal when going there.

When mentioning wisdom I thought of the people who live in the mountains or in the foothills. Those people give me a feeling that to some extent they are one with the nature, like there is some eternal knowledge of the mountains that they have, are born with, and about which other people have no idea. I always feel like a naive tourist compared to the local mountain people but at the same time I feel welcome in the nature and ready to observe its beauty.

Knowing that I am surrounded by animals also makes me feel like there is a place even for me. They usually remain hidden and the only thing that tells me about their presence are their tracks, but even that is enough for me to feel like I entered a secret forest society where myths and legends can still be true.