To understand us, it helps to understand the spirit behind our practice.
Because It's There is a remark made by George Mallory when he was asked why he wanted to climb Everest in 1923. His retort was forged into mountaineering folklore, partly due to its curt, enigmatic nature and partly because no one knew what he was actually saying.
Did he mean, for instance, mountains exist therefore I climb (philosophical point). Or perhaps it was just an irritated, off-the-cuff remark to a frequently repeated question (sarcastic point). Then again maybe he wanted to say “can I not just do something for the sake of doing something, why do we always need to find reasons for everything” (practical point).
Whatever the meaning (or meanings), the phrase conjures up the spirit of the times and the spirit of our practice - one of courage, adventure and pioneering with a strong belief in the values of trust, loyalty, friendship, determination and understatement, against all the odds.