The author's point is that we've thrown out too much of what we've perhaps to broadly labeled as waste. We're realizing that some of the "waste" (to use your term) actually has value in it that we previously didn't recognize. It's a waste of effort to climb to the top of a mountain when you could've taken a vehicle to the top, perhaps, but for some folks that value isn't in the destination alone. Author's point is that we should be more aware of what we value, and how much of the "waste" a convenience a convenience removes is truly "waste" vs meaningful/valuable experience/effort for growth and fulfillment.
The fundamental problem with the author's premise, to use your example, is that the effort needed to climb to the top of a mountain every day, is ridiculous.
There's no outsized value in washing your clothes by hand every day, week, month. It's monotonous, very time consuming and physically punishing. There's also similarly no value in cutting your entire lawn by hand. These things are not comparable to climbing a mountain, which you're going to do rarely.
If you have to climb a mountain every day, take a vehicle. Your body will thank you. And so will your loved ones, because climbing a mountain is extremely time consuming, so you'll never see your loved ones again.
