Why are people drawn to climb the formidable summits of the world, and what is it about the experience that inevitably results in a catharsis of the soul, an opening of the spirit, a softening of the heart?

These two questions, which we ponder all the time at Embark, are at the heart of a new book we’d like to recommend: Zombies on Kilimanjaro, by Tim Ward. It’s the story of a climb of Kilimanjaro, of course, but also of a father re-establishing his relationship with his 20-year-old son. As Ward said in an interview:

What happened between us truly put our relationship on a new path, a new kind of relaxed friendship. It allowed us to both let go of a lot of baggage, and put us on an equal footing. Getting to the top together, that was one of the hardest things either of us had ever done. It kind of shook off the old crust, helped us break out of old patterns and see each other with fresh eyes. Now that Josh and I have shared that experience, it seems like a marker for our new relationship.

Climbing, trekking, adventure travel — all these things can have this same wonderful effect. We find out who we really are, and in so doing find out what we really value, whether that’s our health, our spirituality, or each other.

So go check out Tim’s book. And we’ll leave you with his advice from the same interview, when he was asked for the advice he’d give to people thinking about climbing Kiliminjaro:

Go. Do it. It’s the trip of a lifetime. Forever after you will be able to look back and say,” I touched the sky in Africa.”