A lone villager has to climb the steps and avoid/fight frost wolves, trolls, and those icy serpent things to deliver salt piled horse meet and bees to the Greybears. Why even bother? I always found this 'agreement' weird because Ivarstead gets nothing in return. However it also made me wonder, what would happen if Ivarstead stopped food deliveries. Would the Greybears starve? Or would they have to strap on some leather armor, equip some bows and actually go out and hunt goats?

I don't see why they bother either, except Nords are superstitious ignoramuses.

(I play a Nord, so it's ok)

I found it funny that Klimmek doesn't get paid for delivering supplies to them but pays me a 1000 septims for making one delivery.
svcker.

And two months after I dropped it off its still in the chest.

Well it wasn't unheard of IRL for people to do the same for groups/individuals/etc they revered or were in awe of (or were bound to some other way). Well except for the trolls and frost wolves bit.

Religious/spiritual/philosophical loyalty can have a lot of power over the common man, or make the common man willing to risk a lot for a reward that probably isn't physical in any way.

Besides, everyone who goes up the mountain has to stop at Ivarstead for lodging and supplies. The town would benefit from the revenue.

How does the character carry 50 greatswords on him?! Its **** like this bethesda!!!! /sarcasm

Hey, good point. They would benefit from the tourism.

They would probably decide that it's ok to abuse their powers a little, and say 'Pepperoni Pizza" in Dragon.

I wondered the same. It's too dangerous to go up? How is this a reliable system?

I've not gone up yet, but as people can apparently grow vegetables in tundra, why can't these guys? I love that...oh, we know how to work the land, blah blah. It's not a question of working the land, you stupid cow. Plants grow, flower, and fruit under certain conditions--temperature, sun, and rainfall. Idiots.

I think if they stopped giving them food the greybeards would just live off the land up there. There seems to be enough stuff to hunt.

lol

NO FREAKIN WAY MAN. LOL My character just did the food delivery quest... look at her http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/594704695999090489/0F802D7D0D18DA2FCCB53C027543E2EE85716F07/
Sweet jesus. LMAO.