What to take away from mountains and the people that live with them

The Alps: Timeless. Independent. Thought-provoking

There is a different flow of time in the Alps. ‘Slow’ would be the wrong description. Yet, the way time flows is surely antagonistic to the hectic and often times erratic pulls and pushes that the majority of people that are exposed to a modern lifestyle are subject to, whether by choice or involuntary.

Modernity as such, to be sure, should not simply be regarded as something negative overall. After all, modernity, with its origin going back more than 300 years (the so-called early modern age) has led to the majority of the world’s population living longer, healthier and more prosperous lives than was the case anytime before in history. But as Friedrich Schiller, a poignant analyst of his time, has pointed out, modernity is beneficial for human kind - but a rough imposition on the individual.

Such a discussion could surely fill the pages of many PhD theses, but…to break this complex socio-economic subject down to its simplest terms: modernity forces us to be ever flexible, adaptable, stress-resistant, able to juggle multiple tasks and never stop being part of a process onto which the individual itself has basically no influence.



I leave it to every single individual to resume if this modus operandi is something more positive or negative – whether it pushes you to pursue new boundaries and thus contribute to the advancement of humankind, or if it simply squashes you like a ripe orange, sucking your energy for the benefit of others.

But there is no doubt that modernity in every case necessitates times of disengagement. Of disconnect, to seek serenity and recalibration. Even corporations support such a view, even if only to have more productive ‘human resources’ later on. However, whether or not we want to use recalibration to go back in and resume with even more energy, or in order to get completely new ideas about being and life is again up to every individual.

But independent of your specific goals, the place to go for a recalibration of your mindset, of your interior compass, your battery/engine and maybe even your system of though and hence your overall soul is…the Alps (what did you think??).

Wood, granite - and ice

Lets look at typical food: Speck (bacon) is aging for months, at least if you consider the true artisanal produced varieties. Cheese undergoes a similar process. The better varieties are in addition derived from animals that are kept outside, in their natural surroundings, again over much longer time periods than is the case in modern high-tech agriculture.

All this can only mean that time has a different value in the Alps. Modernity has it that time is money. Here, time is a promise. A promise about quality, dedication and rarity. Whether the bacon has its perfect degree of flavour thanks to airdrying this week or only in two doesn’t matter. What matters is that the flavour will be perfect.

Observing alpine lifestyle and traditions is an area even more complex, but confirms the point made further above. Of course the Alps feature urban centres, such as Geneva, Munich, Salzburg, Graz, Torino and others. And the young and the old use the internet, you can see street wear being worn, Netflix watched, and hip-hop music being listened to. But by and large, these adaption to new ways of live are still grounded and rooted in a fairly stable set of traditions and traditional values. Many people consider the annual calendar of festivities and special days. Family bonds are often strong. There is a sense of community and belonging, of pride towards customs, the region and its people. Values that have come under fire in many parts of the West remain strong and more stable in the Alps. And while most people have all but ‘exotic’ ways of living, and pursue jobs in the tourism industry, as farmers, lawyers, teachers etc., it is much more the rhythm of nature and traditional customs that guide the life of individuals, rather than a smart-watch telling you how much you still have to walk today to complete your goals.

Mountains are strict teachers - and mountain dwellers have learned from nature

Winter for instance, while it has lost its terrifying power over the lives of people also in the Alps, is still cold, snowy and powerful enough to calm the average speed down between November and at least February. Yes, people have modern 4 WD cars, but snow and ice on the roads still ask for adapted speeds. You also might spend half an hour or so to uncover your car in the morning after a heavy snowfall. And while electricity in the Alps is not an issue for sure (rather to the contrary, thanks to hydropower), the smaller settlements and valleys are simply quite pitch-dark in the cold season, driving people indoors, enjoying the cosiness of the home and of family and friends.

Living near, with, or on mountains impacts lifestyles as well. Despite all technology that is available between Nice and Vienna, and between Munich and Torino, people who life and work on or with mountains know one thing for sure: Nature is not your fun-dude. It demands respect, and most alpine dwellers are prepared to give it. Life can end quickly under an avalanche in winter or through a rockfall in the other seasons, or you may simply fall of the cliffs in your car if you get it wrong.



This combination of valuing time, traditions, and nature makes people less prone to become headless subjects to the ever-changing trends and needs of modernity. By way of slow adaption, i.e. by combining the beneficial parts of modernity (such as electricity, individual mobility, the internet, etc) with their tried and tested traditions, the people of the Alps have gained something that is very much en vogue now in the centers of modernity, and referred to as ‘resilience’.

What values matter in your life?

Resilience has been more crucial for Alpine people than in most other regions, largely due to the more violent and unforgiving nature, and also by lesser options to diversify your economic or social base. Hence, customs and traditions were kept as long as they reinforced this resilience, and aspects of modernity were adopted for the same reason. Both traditions and modernity were and are constantly being checked for their potential contribution to resiliency.

Coming back to our earlier example of construction materials for the alpine chalets, wood and granite are not only beautiful and locally available – but are reliable, have high levels of resistance and guarantee for a solid house that can withstand the many attacks by nature.

As such, the Alpine view on things can help the stressed and modern city dweller as well with some important questions: What does really matter in my life? What does make me stronger? How can I become a more valuable contributor to my family, community or society? Make no mistake – there is no simple answer to these fundamentally important questions. I am not suggesting that every investment banker should turn into a mountain farmer, producing 1a-class goat cheese (even though it sounds tempting). But the Alps and its inhabitants by and large have a somewhat different approach to many things, and a different hierarchy in the value-system. By spending some time in the Alp’s pristine, tranquille, and sometimes untamed nature, and observing how the local populace go about their duties – maybe have a couple of chats even, one might, after some time, see certain aspect with a different view, get some distance to things that before were regarded as indispensably important.

What I find very often is that the mountain-dweller is frequently a relaxed person, with very clear views on things. Frequently assured about their individual contribution they add to their and to other peoples lives, theirs is a certain degree of stability and happiness in their being – and spending some time in the Alps, ideally regularly, might lead you to the discovery of what their approach is – and what you can use for your own plans over the next months and years.