 |
| |
We live in a country of mountains. We have much more mountainous
territory than any other type of land. Anywhere we are in Chile, we
can orientate ourselves by the mountains. We can view and admire
them. However, we know little of them and few of us try to reach
them.
Thanks to the desire, enthusiasm, passion for the mountains and
appropriate preparation of the skilled teams who accepted our
challenge a year ago, Banco de Chile managed to complete a great
challenge; bringing a testimony to all the Chilean summits over
6,000 metres, the “Summit Box”, which contain the necessary
elements to allow the mountaineers that will come to leave their
own testimony.
Today, we feel proud to display the experiences and emotions of
each of these expeditions in the following pages. Especially because,
in the testimony of each climb, they defined routes and directions
that will allow many others, attracted by our majestic mountains,
to reach the highest peaks in Chile.
Mountains allow diverse levels of challenge. The skils involved in a
climb echo those needed to face the challenges of life and of
business.
They allow us, in contrast with many other activities, to show our
courage and to put our individual capacity and teamwork to the
test.
It allows us to put an enterprising spirit into practice with the greatest
possibility of success, through planning, defining goals, an appropriate
use of technology and the respect and understanding of nature and
the environment.
It also allows the development of the spirit of adventure, of the
search for what is beyond what we know; of the unknown routes
to the places where no one has set foot before.
And it allows us, above all, to look from above and see much more.
View the world from another perspective, see how the rivers form,
grow and meet each other. Appreciate the wounds that have been
left by the hand of man, admire how human works have improved
our quality of life, living magically and healthily alongside nature.
See how we have developed our cities and look at ourselves,
appreciating our courage and capacities, accepting our limitations
with modesty. All we have to do is climb the summit and take the
time to look at ourselves honestly.
With this editorial project, we want to motivate others to experience
the mountain and make sure that the experience is safe, precise and
respectful.
We want those who can marvel with their mountaineering experience,
to leave testimony of what they lived, what they felt and what
happened to them. And we want them to feel grateful for what
they have learnt. It is because of this that we have left, in the sacred
places of our high peaks, the “Summit Box”, as a testimony to that
piece of life that they shared with the immensity of that mountain.
We want to leave a message for those who will come, a memory
of an objective achieved with effort, with hope and with dedication,
telling the history of our mountains, written by whoever had the
determination to reach them, and were well-prepared enough to
succeed in and enjoy the conquest. |
Andrónico Luksic C.
Vicepresident
Banco de Chile |
|
|
