In the Sound of Music Mother Abbess tells us through song to climb every mountain. She probably wasn’t referring to actual mountains but I think it’s a powerful message of hope. So, with that song in mind I climbed a mountain today.

Mount Burnaby to be exact. I was feeling a little sluggish this weekend and thought it would be a good idea to bring in the new month and week with a proactive and inspiring excursion.

I live on Capitol Hill in North Burnaby. The main street here, Hastings, begins at Cardero St. in Coal Harbour and runs approximately 12 km to Dalla-Tina Ave. at the foot of Burnaby Mountain. A path from Hastings then continues as the Trans Canada Trail up to the top of the mountain.

I see Burnaby Mountain every day. It greets me every morning like a reliable friend reminding me of the season as well as the time of day. It’s a subtle and unimposing elevation compared to the nearby North Shore Mountains and I have often wondered how hard it would be to just walk up there. So, today that’s exactly what I did.

It was pretty easy.

Granted, climbing a 370 m mountain is not exactly the most impressive feat. But it’s a mountain nonetheless and the fact that I climbed it empowers me to face some of my life challenges with a bit more confidence and focus.