I recently recorded an episode on my podcast, Finding Elevation, about discovering your deeper purpose and motivations for outdoor adventure. As an avid mountaineer and climber, it's a topic very close to my own journey.

I explain how I wasn't inherently "outdoorsy" growing up in the flat cornfields of Illinois. When I later moved to mountainous Seattle for a corporate job, I felt compelled to start climbing to fit in with my athletic male coworkers. My why initially stemmed from insecurity and wanting to prove myself.

It took the devastating blow of a cancer diagnosis threatening my identity as a climber to really inspect my why at a more profound level. I realized I climbed not out of defiance, but to understand my capabilities and grow through overcoming challenges. My motivations evolved to focus on female empowerment and giving back to the generous mountain communities who had taught me so much.

I offer advice in the episode for getting clarity on your why so you can harness it during difficult situations on the trail. I suggest journaling, continually asking "why" to get at core motivations, and distilling it down to a mantra or anchor phrase.

I share a story of putting this into practice during a fundraising climb in Nepal that stretched me mentally and physically. By tapping into why I was climbing for those specific girls I aimed to send to school, it fueled me to not give up when it got painfully tough.

What I've learned is getting underneath surface reasons for venturing outdoors, and aligning activities more meaningfully with who you are, leads to more fulfilled, purpose-driven time outside. I encourage you to carve out space for self-reflection too - what motivates you to escape into nature and challenge your limits? Defining your why sets the stage for deeper transformation waiting out there on the trails.