When it comes to climbing and mountaineering, there’s a huge difference between the word epic when it’s an adjective and when it’s a noun. If you come back from a trip to the Himalaya and your friends ask you how it went and your reply is something along the lines of, “Oh, man! It was absolutely epic,” you’ve probably had a good time. If your reply is something more akin to, “Oh, man! We had an epic,” the meaning is altogether different. You’ll either have a hollow look in your eyes, or you’ll be bouncing with a new found lease of life, having flirted a little with its end. Adjective: good. Noun: not so good.
So, what is an epic exactly? One of our mountaineering experts is here to reveal all, consider a few high-profile examples, share his own tales and give guidance on how you can avoid being caught in one.
