People ask me What is the use of climbing Mount Everest and my answer must at once be It is of no use.There is not the slightest prospect of any gain whatsoever. Oh we may learn a little about the behaviour of the human body at high altitudes and possibly medical men may turn our observation to some account for the purposes of aviation. But otherwise nothing will come of it. We shall not bring back a single bit of gold or silver not a gem nor any coal or iron... If you cannot understand that there is something in man which responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward and forever upward then you wont see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is after all the end of life. We do not live to eat and make money. We eat and make money to be able to live. That is what life means and what life is for.

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 theres no dream that mustnt be dared. . . Is this the summit crowning the day How cool and quiet Were 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 No. . . and yes. We have achieved an ultimate satisfaction. . . fulfilled a destiny. . . To struggle and to understand - never this last without the other such is the law. . .