The Art of Mountaineering

I can see by my watch, without taking my hand of my hip, that it is five-to-eight in the morning. I am early. A fresh breeze on my bare arms tells me that I did well packing a sweater and a rain jacket although the forecasts had been good for the day. I head back into one of the seven exits of metro-stop Calle O’Donnell to meet Tyler. Together we would go hiking with two more friends (Ángel and Hswin) in the Sierras in the north of Madrid. It was exactly what I needed for hiking is like fishing or a motorcycle trip, it gives you time to think. And thinking was on my mind. Despite receiving positive feedback after my interview with the Ministry of Foreign affairs I didn’t get offered the job. Why not?

The forty minute drive in Ángel’s Audi up to the national park ‘La Piedraza’ (big stone) just outside the reservoir town of Manzanares el Real doesn’t leave me with much time to reflect as the newly formed team of the day converse. Ángel is by far the most talkative. He is a hiking instructor and is clearly happy with our enthusiasm to join him for the day. He talks about the houses he has lived in during the 40 years of his life and about the importance of mountaineering preparation. He is an entertaining guy and I am not bothered. The thinking can come later.

Upon arriving at the park around nine o’clock we stop at the cabin cafeteria for coffees and donuts. Although I make an honest attempt, Ángel pays for us all. The surroundings are impressive with high rock mountains waking up to the morning sun. The smell of pines brings me back to the Rocky Mountains of Canada. Ten minutes later we are off. The team is exited at the prospect of a 6 hour hike through this imposing setting. Although nobody knows it I am the most exited. The reasoning could start. The report of my interview stated various valuations on me as a person. It said for example that I am a good worker under stress and that sometimes I have difficulty expressing my thoughts and ideas. All were assertions about my character, about the quality I possess as a person. I have a few problems with this and I would like to point out why.

Recently I have been reading Robert M. Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance which carries the rather unknown subtitle of An Inquiry into Values. It talks about Quality. I am hooked. Actually, I only want to talk to people who have also read it which leaves me in a spot of bother down here in Spain. I turn to Tyler as we are making a stop to put on some factor 25 sunscreen and he confesses that he has started Zen three times without getting past the first ten pages. No help there then. Slowly my mind wonders back to Quality. Zen is at the very hart of what I am trying to get at. It is a search for values and Quality comes out on top. Quality is the undefinable entity which defines everything around it. It is the source of everything we know. Quality – or its absence – doesn’t reside in either the subject or object. Zen tries to get rid of our dualistic way of thinking. Subject-object, mind-matter, wrong-right, good-bad and 0-1. These are all things unknown to nature and which have been created by man. Quality isn’t created by man, but exists a priori (before anything else, like time and space) in the things we see around us. Man however can influence the Quality of something through its interaction with it. If there is no full connection with that he is producing people will view the product as bad Quality.

We’ve moved into lighter terrain above the tree line, we will soon be at the top of the mountain. A discussion flares up amongst my companions. It attracts my attention. Madrid is claimed to be the European city most favourable to the blind. This statement tempts me to make a comment. I calmly agree and verify that I have seen more blind people in Madrid than in any other city I have lived in. “This is because of ONCE – the charity for the blind who sell lottery tickets,” adds Tyler. I nod and slip back into thought. People can possess Quality as well. Actually, everybody possesses Quality you just need to know how to use it. Zen promotes a society without school or University grades. This way, students are challenged to determine themselves what Quality is. They are not told what it is. In the book the metaphor of the motorcycle mechanic is used. The good mechanics, the ones who work with Quality, are very much connected to their work. In fact, the moment of pure Quality is when subject and object are identical. They feel the machine they are working with. They have let go all manual instructions and do not need to be told what to do or what Quality is. They know. They can see its Quality. They are challenged when something goes wrong because this will bring them forward. They are making an art of what they’re doing and do not expect that others will see this art, although it is noticed. Think of a world where everybody makes Quality decisions. Now, during my interview not one question was asked about Quality and if I either possess it or if I know how to spot it. Instead, seven characteristic points were evaluated through which they told me what good is and what not. Mister Pirsig would have been very disappointed indeed for this is totally the wrong approach. The Ministry could only really have been happy with me if I could determine Quality myself. Quality is undefinable and Pirsig’s main striking point is the motto of his book (which also appears on page 398): ‘And what is good, Phaedrus, And what is not good – Need we ask anyone to tell us these things?’ It is past midday now and we are heading back down the woods. As usual, it is tougher descending than ascending. Hswin is having difficulties and asks her boyfriend Ángel if we could stop for a moment. We do. Her legs are hurting and I admit to myself that mine are doing the same. I pass a water bottle round and it ends at Tyler. He looks tired and when he finishes he puts the bottle besides him. We talk about Oklahoma and that all the lakes in this North American state are manmade. We get up again, brush the pine needles of our pants and leave. The water bottle remained where it was.

I like to think that I have a classical way of reasoning and that I like to understand what I am doing. I believe that I most of the time connect with what I do. I feel that this was missed during the interview. Now I understand that it is not possible to change human thought or an interview procedure for that matter, but it is nice to think about it. Well, there you go. My day of thinking came to an end (for rethoric purposes this article was a summary of my thoughts of the day, it could have been a lot longer) as we approach the same cabin-like restaurant of this morning. Pre-empting Ángel’s wish to offer us a drink I beat him to it before we enter the café. “I would like to buy you a beer,” I say proudly and surprisingly he accepts without a struggle. We sit down in the shade and enjoy the four cold Mahou bottles brought to us buy the waiter. Ángel stands up and says he is going to find himself a cigarette. Still contemplating the day I offer him a weak – but sincere – smile. A few seconds pass and I snap back to reality. “Ángel doesn’t smoke.” As soon as I realize this I see our mountain guide returning with a big grin on his face. He has paid for the drinks, this was obvious. So much for connecting to your actions, Thomas. So much for Quality.