Even if literature hadn't turned the mountain into a clich , popular culture sure has.
Ads featuring climbing, striving, fearless adventurers sell everything from allergy relief to SUVs.
And no corporate handbook is complete without at least one summit symbol. The image works, the stereotype holds up, right down to the melodramatic part where the hero overcomes doubt and pushes onward to scale lofty heights. Despite the allegory, some people still can't quite comprehend the appeal of climbing. Seems like a lot of work, not to mention a stupid way to die. But to those who give it a try, climbing is more than that.