In the backcountry, a group of climbers set off to ascend a series of peaks. The pace is brisk and the terrain is difficult below the treeline in the valley. One of the climbers falls behind by noon on the first day. That morning, the slow climber had struggled to keep up with the group. They would arrive at each rest point just as the rest of the group was packing up to leave. The group tried to reassure the slow climber by saying, "c'mon, c'mon this part is easy!" but it didn't seem that way at all to someone who was exhausted.
Eventually, the group left the slow climber behind. It was almost a relief to the tired mountaineer who had been filled with anxiety over holding the group back and trying to push themselves beyond their limits to keep up. Now, the tired climber could rest when they wanted to. They could climb at a pace that allowed them to enjoy the scenery, the warm work of their muscles, and the quick, full breaths of clean mountain air.
Looking up, the slower climber could see their friends' silhouettes high up on the ridgeline, in full sun, and moving toward the first peak. The tired climber was not yet out of the valley's shadows and could only imagine what the view must be like from so high up. The climber did not envy the main group - the lone mountaineer knew that they would make the summit eventually. In the meantime, they were content to walk the wilderness alone.
