[at-l] The mental thing

[greenway@marlin.innerx.net]

I suppose there probably aren't as many current- or ex-military members
among the AT crowd as there might have been 20 years ago.  For the
thru-hikers who are familiar with the military, do you find any comparison
between the mental/physical challenge of the hike and that of US Army Ranger
training or Navy SEAL BUD/S training?  They're considered the apex of
challenging training. The common denominator among them seems to be that
fitness counts, but the biggest or most fit generally don't make it.  It's
the ones that are usually of average size and
better-than-average-but-not-Mr. Universe condition that do. They
(particularly Rangers) aren't always physically impressive people.  They're
just the ones that can keep reaching deep inside and pulling out the
"stick-to-it-iveness" every day regardless of fatigue or injury. I have to
wonder if, in a different life, people like Bill Irwin or Grandma Gatewood
could have completed that type of training. 

Jim Greenway 

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