"The Testicular Imperative"

The following words of wisdom are taken from an interview of Colin Fletcher by Mark Jenkins in Backpacker Magazine, July 1988,page 32.

Colin Fletcher was a legendary backpacker and prolific writer. His book "The Man Who Walked Through Time" chronicled his hike from rim to rim of the Grand Canyon. He authored numerous other books including "The Complete Walker" which in my opinion still is the greatest source of practical advice on backpacking and equipment.

Now back to the interview. Fletcher says ....

"Listen it's really quite simple. Walking gives me perspective. To me the idea that a beautiful grove of trees is like a cathedral is a lot of crap. The cathedral is like a grove of trees. Tisn't so much walking. It's what walking puts you in touch with.

Comes down to this: Either you got the world by them, or it's got you by them. You go out for a walk, a long walk, or just up the hill, and it loosens its grasp. You've wrenched them free. It's the testicular imperative."