By Fred McArdle
[This article was written when I was a lecturer in a teacher education course, and before we undertook home education. It still makes sense to me].
Competition is normally interpreted as competing in some sort of race to win, usually for self-centred reasons and to “prove” something.
Climbing a mountain or going bushwalking, on the other hand, is working together with somebody to see the scenery and to feel the achievement, to smell the scents, to breathe the air, and to present oneself with a challenge, to stretch one’s horizons. The walking or climbing is most often done in a group, where each member has the duty to support each other member, and each has the right to expect to be supported in the challenging environment, so that in the end all members have achieved and can enjoy the view with a sense of satisfaction and joy. …