Accidents on big mountains happen when people's ambitions cloud their good judgment. Good climbing is about climbing with heart and with instinct, not ambition and pride.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I think I mainly climb mountains because I get a great deal of enjoyment out of it. I never attempt to analyze these things too thoroughly, but I think that all mountaineers do get a great deal of satisfaction out of overcoming some challenge which they think is very difficult for them, or which perhaps may be a little dangerous.
When you are on a climb, you always pick out people's words of encouragement, and it can push us on, without doubt.
I love to read about the exploits of technical mountain climbers, but I've never done any vertical climbing.
Climbing has a lot of themes that are applicable to people, no matter who you are.
You don't climb mountains without a team, you don't climb mountains without being fit, you don't climb mountains without being prepared and you don't climb mountains without balancing the risks and rewards. And you never climb a mountain on accident - it has to be intentional.
Good people climb quickly - just like in a company.
In rock climbing, people get strong enough, and then they pick goals they can do with their strengths at that moment.
There's intense personal gratification in finding a mountain and becoming inspired by the aesthetics of an unclimbed line on that mountain, especially if that line has been tried by a lot of people who couldn't do it, and you get to set yourself up against the history of it.
I'm the sort of person who needs a big mountain in front of me to climb.
People say, 'Are you insane?' But the most successful climbers are the most calculating, with the most refined sense of risk. They're hyper-conscious of safety. They're the least insane people I know.