A 'reward' to push your heart forward before your motivation breaks on the mountain

On the mountain, motivation drops before your legs do.
Especially on low summer mountains. It happens when the sluggish climb in the final stretch overlaps with
the inescapable heat.

You still have physical strength left, but the reason to keep going just disappears.
This state is the most troublesome.

That is why I decide in advance.
'Where I will be rewarded.'

I have brought cookies before.
I intended to eat them at the summit, but they were crushed inside my backpack.
I realized then: how a reward works depends more on the 'design' than the contents.

Now I decide it like this:
・Only eat after lunch
・Carry it over until the final stretch
・Complete it right there on the spot

Since changing to this rule, the way my motivation drops has changed.

For example, canned peaches.

They are heavy and bulky. They are the exact opposite of lightweight gear.
Even so, I bring them because
the fact that I carried them this far becomes the value itself.

I open the can at the summit.
The sound of the pull-tab rings out surprisingly loud.
The sweetness, drinking it along with the syrup, flows straight into my tired body.
That slightly rough sweetness is just right.

Another one is drip coffee.
Grind the beans, boil the water, and pour it slowly.
On windy days, I set up a windscreen.
That effort itself helps reset my mood.

Effective rewards have common points.
Being rewarded immediately.
Being a reason to endure until that point.
And, being just a little bit of a hassle.

When these three things come together, motivation returns.

On your next mountain trip, instead of 'what to eat',
it is better to decide 'where you will be rewarded' first.

Conclusion |🍑Mountain fuel that says 'because I have this' becomes emotional support