Audrey Hales - American Camino Chapter 2

 

Chapter 2 titled, “Spiritual Journey Versus Aesthetic Tourism” begins by discussing a hiker's experiences with Blood Mountain, many hikers being very thrown off by the intense discomfort. Dr. Redick describes this disillusionment well when he says “Their preconceptions did not prepare them for the journey. An aesthetic amble through the wilderness was never thought to be so uncomfortable, exhausting, emotionally draining, and lacking in visual stimulation”. I found this quote to be very amusing, because unless you have embarked on some version of long distance hiking you would not know the true meaning of it. To everyone that has never hiked on the Appalachian Trail, it is a scenic breath of fresh air on rolling mountains with mist and beautiful sunsets playing on rock outcroppings. The true Appalachian Trail is the dirt three feet in front of you that you’re staring at so you dont trip as you walk in the tunnel of never ending green undergrowth while thinking about how hungry you are. Kip Redick then goes on to talk about the history of the wilderness aesthetic, how it was considered ugly until the emergence of landscape painting. He then goes on to discuss the objectification of nature and what defines an aesthetic journey.


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