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I always have a hard time explaining ski mountaineering to people who don't know what it is. The questions I get are understandable but also confound me. Many people don't understand why someone would want to climb up a mountain with so much heavy equipment when you can go to places that have chairlifts or take a helicopter up. It's not racing, cross country, alpine or heli skiing. It's this bizarre sufferfest of a sport where you have to be incredibly strong, fit and have a high level of technical expertise. But when you take on that challenge and accomplish the impossible, it makes all the suffering worth it. If you've never tried doing that, it's hard to explain. But when you have, it's the best feeling in the world, and you'll do almost anything to recreate that experience. Photo: walking a heavy load down from Mt. Oliver in New Zealand, taken by @rob.lea #skiaoraki16 #bigmtndreams
