Write about a character who’s climbing a mountain, whether internal, external, or both.

Posted in Adventure on Jan 13, 2023

Submissions are closed

Sorry, we are not accepting submissions for this prompt as it is not part of an active contest. Make sure you don't miss our next contest by creating your free Reedsy Prompts account.

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 59 stories

“Denali, A love Story” by John Anderson

Submitted to Contest #181

Denali-A love Story The day had been a slog. As we ascended off of the Kahiltna Glacier a constant 20 mph wind had been banging away at us for the better of six hours. This was day five of our climb as we moved off the top of the 11,000-foot glacier trying to reach the safety of the upper Base Camp at fourteen. (14,000 feet) The ultimate goal was to summit Denali, North Americas tallest peak. The big mountain tops out at 20,320 feet and is so massive, it can create its...

5 comments 5

Read story

“Honey Caramel” by Cassandra Fan

Submitted to Contest #181

As she hiked her way higher and higher up the rocky mountainside, Caramel would periodically stop and gaze out at the incomparable view. From this height, the crowded and tumultuous city she had called home for her entire life became little more than a pebble on a hillside 100 miles away. “Like something straight from a nature documentary,” she muttered to herself, taking everything in before she turned back to continue her climb. She had left for the mountain before the sun had risen, before anyone would notice that she was gone. Put on her...

1 comment 1

Read story

“The Cave” by Mabel Gray

Submitted to Contest #181

Have you ever heard of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave? If you haven’t, I’ll spell it out for you in the most rudimentary way possible. You’re in the cave, meaning you only see an imitation of the truth. You are in the dark, living your life through fake shadows. If you venture outside the cave, you will be blinded by the truth, but then come to accept it. Almost everyone on this Earth is inside the cave, only the truly amazing and ethically correct will be curious enough to drag themselves out. This allegory of the cave can be used as a metaph...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Vibrantly Shining” by Faith Richardson

Submitted to Contest #181

I’m standing at the corner where life intersects easy...NOT! God says it's supposed to be hard. So, even when I strive to live on Easy Street, life's not...easy that is. The journey is rough, but God's path is straight not smooth. He promises that! I often stand in bewilderment at how life can unexpectedly throw us off balance. Sometimes I stand there, mouth agape, frozen in puzzlement and think can this really be happening? Did I just go from polishing my diamond to faceplanting in a cow pie at the bottom of the mountain? I was so focused...

1 comment 1

Read story

“About Face” by Cindy Hammonds

Submitted to Contest #181

About Face His thoughts were like the light dappling through the trees, wavering, just out of focus. He felt certain if he could just make one connection his path would become clear, just as the dense forested path he was running had opened into a peaceful sun-filled meadow. He certainly hadn’t planned to take on a father role but then he never figured a car crash would leave him without a sister and his nephew without parents either. What the hell was Cari thinking anyway. Sh...

1 comment 1

Read story

“One Whisker” by LiV Stickmann~Pollard

Submitted to Contest #181

TW: foul language, non-P.C. labeling A weird thing’s been goin’ on with me, something I wasn’t thinkin’ would ever happen. I’ma just tell ya this straight: I’ma freak. You would never notice me, and if you did all’s you’d see’d be some too-skinny, too-tall boy (which I’m not) who has a fucked-up face. Getting not noticed is best for me, and as far as me ever getting to like myself, might as well tell me to skateboard up Mount Everest. It’s just too high, too far, and gravity sucks too hard. If you think about it, there’...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Reflection” by MJ Simons

Submitted to Contest #181

It was cold and damp as we hiked through a rocky pass. I stepped, and a layer of hardened snow crunched and released under my weight. I could hear the huffing and puffing of my son John’s breathing as the air grew thinner the higher we went. My breath came out like smoke in front of me. We continued on the trail, almost socked in by mist as the clouds were within reach. I followed John, the more experienced hiker until I saw his gloved hand come out, signaling me to stop. There was a noise, although it was faint. We paused, both holding...

6 comments 6

Read story

“I Am Flight ” by Jordan Cochran

Submitted to Contest #181

Fight, Flight, Freeze… the three trauma responses that I have heard about for years. I wish these three, along with the other trauma responses, did not even exist. But they have to, right? Because if we did not have trauma responses, our kind, humans as we know it, would never have made it to present day 2023. Our ancestors were rough and tough, and without the internet to look up “How to dodge a bengal tiger” back then, the good Lord gave them the almighty amygdala to activate the fight, flight, or freeze response. The activation of these t...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Looking for Mountain, Trying to Find my Sanity” by Duane Schultz

Submitted to Contest #181

I’m speeding down the road in Northeastern Wisconsin with my dear friend, Joe Palooka. He and I go back a long time, friends since we were kids. I remember when we first met in George Piazzi’s variety store on Main Street where we would visit several times a week for candy and comics. I had seen Joe there a number of times, and when I walked up to him and said “Hi, I’ve seen you here before”; he just responded with “Yeah so what is your business here?” I told him, “The same as yours, getting some candy and the latest Superman ...

2 comments 2

Read story

“A Realization at 15,000 Feet” by Pamela Blair

Submitted to Contest #181

A REALIZATION AT 15,000 FEET December, 1973 At 15,000 feet, the encampment around Kibo Hut resembled a miners’ camp: three A-frame and two rectangular aluminum shacks dotted a bare, rocky hillside. Stu and I, as usual the first of our group, found bunks for three in one of the shacks, for us and the other four people in our party. Before dark, I sat outside on a boulder, fashioning a face mask out of two black socks—the socks stretched across my face, creating slits for my eyes in the space between the two socks. I hoped it woul...

0 comments 0

Read story

“An Innocence Lost” by Natalie Gessele

Submitted to Contest #181

It was a pleasant morning. The dew still hung on the grass and the sun shone warmly. I had finished my morning chores and was walking towards the path to the river. The tall grass had soaked through the hem of my dress, but I didn’t care. I was still at that age of innocence and wonder of the world around me- each day was fresh and perfect and true evil did not exist. I skipped down the forest path, pausing to admire every little flower and gaze up at the sunlight filtering through the leaves. I twirled a small violet in my fingers...

4 comments 4

Read story

“One Step at a Time” by Dan Coglianese

Submitted to Contest #181

Like a sunflower grazing his cheek, Isabel woke Will up with a whisper. “Time to get up, darling.” The scent of lavender and lilies flooded his senses, even before opening his eyes. Despite his reluctance to get out of bed, he smiled at his wife’s Spanish accent. The way she said “darling” always got him. And she knew it. Smiling, Will said, “Mm...

3 comments 3

Read story

“The last fire village” by Marie Perederii

Submitted to Contest #181

It was mid-December when it happened. The cold frigid wind scratched at Hail’s face while she attempted to dig up some Earth fire crystals. She was trying to provide for her family and for her Village which was dying completely. There was no real way that she could finally go home if she didn't find a fire Crystal… because then there would be no warmth and then they would all die from extinguishment and cold. It was a harsh reality but at the same time it was the only one she knew so she had to endure it while she dug for scraps of fire crys...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Arrows of Artemis” by Avery Crescent

Submitted to Contest #181

Velos spied the black-necked pheasant pecking at grain seeds that dotted the ground of the newly harvested wheat field. As she watched the bird hop to its left and poke its gray beak at a dried-out husk, the huntress slipped an arrow from her hip quiver and placed it in the string of her bow. She held her breath as she aimed at the speckled brown feathers just below the bird’s reddish crown. A few seconds later, her arrow found its mark. She placed the bird in her game pouch and whispered words of gratitude to the Goddess. It was going t...

7 comments 7

Read story

“The King of Ephyra” by Christopher Biery

Submitted to Contest #181

[Dear reader: this story contains references to adultery, sexual abuse, and suicide.] __________________________________ It seemed easy enough. My task was to carry the stone to the top of the mountain; a path of recompense, I was told. It looked a long hike, sure. From where I was standing, I couldn’t even see the summit. Clouds of gloom circled the peak, and I could see that the upper slopes were covered in snow. The stone was a mere pound, and it felt smooth in my palm. I was already fiddling with it, rubbing it back and forth between m...

0 comments 0

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about someone who realizes they're on the wrong path.

Character – 69 stories

Write a story about someone who has to “move mountains” to get what they want.

Angst – 15 stories

Write about a character who, for whatever reason, retreats to a remote cabin.

Mystery – 62 stories

Write a story that includes someone saying, “Let’s go for a walk.”

Dialogue – 73 stories

Contest #181

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Standing Tall

$250

Prize money

278

Contest entries

125

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jan 20, 2023 EST

Won by Aeris Walker 🏆

Title: Out of Place on the Appalachian Trail

View details

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Menu

CONNECT

BLOG

APPS

TOOLS

ABOUT

Write about a character who’s climbing a mountain, whether internal, external, or both.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 59 stories

“Denali, A love Story” by John Anderson

“Honey Caramel” by Cassandra Fan

“The Cave” by Mabel Gray

“Vibrantly Shining” by Faith Richardson

“About Face” by Cindy Hammonds

“One Whisker” by LiV Stickmann~Pollard

“Reflection” by MJ Simons

“I Am Flight ” by Jordan Cochran

“Looking for Mountain, Trying to Find my Sanity” by Duane Schultz

“A Realization at 15,000 Feet” by Pamela Blair

“An Innocence Lost” by Natalie Gessele

“One Step at a Time” by Dan Coglianese

“The last fire village” by Marie Perederii

“Arrows of Artemis” by Avery Crescent

“The King of Ephyra” by Christopher Biery

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about someone who realizes they're on the wrong path.

Write a story about someone who has to “move mountains” to get what they want.

Write about a character who, for whatever reason, retreats to a remote cabin.

Write a story that includes someone saying, “Let’s go for a walk.”

Contest #181

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

278

Contest entries

125

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: