Because It's There. (when Asked Why He

Mountaineers Have Often Observed A Lack Of Clarity In Their Mental State At High Altitudes; It Is Difficult For The Stupid Mind To Observe How Stupid It Is.

How To Get The Best Of It All? One Must Conquer, Achieve, Get To The Top; One Must Know The End To Be Convinced That One Can Win The End - To Know There's No Dream That Musn't Be Daredis This The Summit, Crowning The Day? How Cool And Quiet! We're Not Exultant; But Delighted, Joyful, Soberly Astonished. Have We Vanquished An Enemy? None But Ourselves. Have We Gained Success? That Word Means Nothing Here. Have We Won A Kingdom? Noand Yes. We Have Achieved An Ultimate Satisfactionfulfilled A Destiny. To Struggle And To Understand - Never This Last Without The Other; Such Is The Law.

For The Stone From The Top For Geologists, The Knowledge Of The Limits Of Endurance For The Doctors, But Above All For The Spirit Of Adventure To Keep Alive The Soul Of Man.

The Greatest Danger In Life Is Not To Take The Adventure.

The Highest Of The World's Mountains, It Seems, Has To Make But A Single Gesture Of Magnificence To Be The Lord Of All, Vast In Unchallenged And Isolated Supremacy.