Leviathan soul

Take A Hike

James had finally made it to the peak he had set out to conquer at sunrise that morning. The sun now high but past its zenith, his whole body feeling the discomfort of exertion in the tropics. Ineffectively wiping his brow he stops to admire the view that now exposed itself to him, revealing nothing more than its magnitude and majesty.
This was purely a hike of fancy. There was nothing to be gained from this journey other than to get a feel for the surrounding landscape, to help him consolidate his position, and to just appreciate the sheer beauty of this almost pure wilderness. The closest thing to wilderness any human could manage, in this, the hight of the anthropocene.
His true reason for being here was more to do with what lay in the valleys, creeks and crevices than what he could see from a mountain top.
This was his final week of a six week excursion into the Amazon basin rainforest. He could stay longer if he wished, but the samples he had gathered so far wouldn't keep well in this sweltering environment.
Up here on the mountain he felt like he could breathe more freely and deeply. The sky was so overwhelmingly huge here.
After so much time spent foraging among the river stones at the bottom of the valley, only seeing down as far as his feet. The sky a distant and mostly obscured memory of a sky. He sometimes felt like he was at the bottom of a well. A lush and densely vegetated shaft, with just him and the creek at the bottom.
Sitting on a rocky outcrop and eating his lunch of chocolate and oatmeal biscuits, washed down with the now cold tea he had made that morning.
Just sitting and smiling as he watched the myriad of birds flying among the trees. Thier lust for life so loudly proclaimed.
He had to start his descent soon. As sunset at the bottom of a valley is impracticaley early.
He repacked his shabby canvas backpack, had a last good look at the view and then turned his attention to the task of getting back to camp.