Chase what matters to you
Hi there internet friend,
The summer is already long gone but before it completely recedes from my memory, I want to tell you about a small dream I managed to accomplish.
Exactly three months ago, I found myself hiking up the rocky landscape you can see on the picture below.
It didn’t feel like it because of the thick fog but I was actually at over 2500 meters high, about to reach the top of Grintovec, Slovenia’s second highest mountain.
Now, this isn’t a particularly extraordinary feat — thousands of people climb this mountain every year — but that’s exactly why I want to tell you this story.
I want to tell you about how important it is to pursue your dreams, no matter how insignificant or small they may appear (to you or to your outside world).
See, I had wanted to climb this mountain ever since I had moved to Ljubljana back in 2022.
A planted seed
For those three years, I’d often spot its tooth-shaped peak as I went about my business around town. On a clear day, looking north, it’s hard not to miss.
And, every time I saw it, I told myself that one day I’d climb it.
At the end of the first year, I hadn’t.
“I still have time and I’m so busy now”, I’d tell myself.
Then, at the end of the second year, still not. Same excuses.
Even though I had explored easier hikes, at the end of the third year, I still hadn’t climbed it.
And the reason for that, if I’m being honest, is that I was scared to do so.
It’s a big mountain, yes, but the physical challenge wasn’t so much the problem; it was the fact that it was just outside of my emotional comfort zone.
The fear wasn’t the problem though.
The problem was that I didn’t accept the fear as an obstacle, which means I couldn’t figure out ways to move beyond it.
You don’t have to do it alone
As it turns out, during that third year, I met my friend, Martin.
At some point during the spring, one of us mentioned the idea of going to the top and so that’s how, at the beginning of August, we set off for a planned three day hike.
I typically hate planning and packing but, for this trip, I was lit by an energy that can only be described as a fire within.
The plan was this:
Day 1: hike from Kamniška Bistrica up to the mountain hut on Kamniško Sedlo.
Day 2: cross along a ridge line to another mountain hut on Kokroško Sedlo.
Day 3: ascend to Grintovec, then make our way back down to Kamniška Bistrica.
Simple enough, right?
Micro-adventures don’t follow plans
Everything went great on the first day. It’s on the morning of the second day that the plan fell apart.
We set off on this ridge (behind Brana towards Tuska gora, if ever you’re in the neighborhood) and it immediately became clear that we wouldn’t be able to go on.
We’d heard this passage was very dangerous but seeing it person was something else:
Looking down at the drop we were supposed traverse, there was no way in hell I was going to take another step in that direction.
And so we had to come up with a Plan B.
It turns out we couldn’t find safer a way around so we ended up hiking north, descending into the jaw-dropping Logarska Dolina valley, over a couple of passes (even briefly entering Austria), and back down into the Ravenska Kočna valley.
By the time we finished that second day, we’d been through Plans C, D and E, and ended up walking for over 8 hours.
We bailed, cancelled our planned ascent to Grinovec, and went home.
Dreams don’t have deadlines
But as we went home that night, we made a commitment to come back and make it to the top.
And that’s exactly what we did.
A month later, we met again and hiked the more direct route from Kamniška Bistrica to the top of Grintovec.
So, what did this experience teach me?
Firstly, how dangerous alpine hiking can be, especially on crumbly limestone (at one point, mountain goats sent rock falling above us — thankfully, we were wearing helmets — always wear helmets above the tree-line!).
Secondly, climbing peaks — at least for me — is somewhat overrated.
They tend to be the goals we set ourselves but the true beauty of the mountains are to be experienced in each moment.
Thirdly, the experience taught me the absolute satisfaction of achieving a personal goal. This was a goal that had absolutely zero value to anybody but me.
And that’s precisely why it was worth doing.
I will never forget it.
So, if I can leave you with parting words, it’s these:
Go do whatever it is you want to achieve, no matter how small or insignificant it is to others. When you do, you will feel an energy and aliveness that is the best feeling in the world.
I waited three years to climb up a mountain.
Don’t wait.
Have a quiet drive for something that matters to you, even if it doesn’t feel “big” to the world?
I can help you explore it.
Book your entirely free session here — I’d love to support you on your journey.
🙏
The views look amazing! ✨ Reminded me of our night trek in Serbia, by far the most memorable experience I had those years. Happy to see you are chasing your dreams and thank you for the inspiration as always 🫂