Alex Lowe

“Identifying and overcoming natural fear is one of the pleasing struggles intrinsic to climbing.”

“I think climbing is less a sport and more a hobby, and as such, I think everybody's a beginning climber.”

“Inspiring passion in family and friends has more enduring value than just staying alive for them.”

“It's the journey toward doing these harder climbs that really gives value to the whole activity of climbing.”

“I happily claim expertise in no single aspect of climbing, which is what has kept the passion burning hot all these years.”

“When I'm 70 or 80, I'm still going to be doing good climbs. It's going to be fun to the bitter end.”

“When you remove the risk, you remove the challenge. When you remove the challenge, you wither on the vine.”

“There are people who can't bear to fail. Those people are on the short track as far as their careers go. You have to push hard, do hard things. But you also have to be able to say, 'OK, today's not the day.'”

“Climbing is a journey without culmination.”

“There are two kinds of climbers: those who climb because their heart sings when they're in the mountains, and all the rest.”

“It's wonderful to be back. Back among the mountains that remind us of our vulnerability, our ultimate lack of control over the world we live in. Mountains that demand humility, and yield so much peace in return.”

“I would let climbing slide away if I had to maintain my relationship with my family. Because it really is the big adventure.”

“Climbing, for me, is all about solving the magnitude of the problem. The best projects are the ones with big question marks hanging over them.”

“The best climber is the one who has the most fun.”

“I've definitely got lists of things I'd love to accomplish as a climber. But let's face it: The world's full of climbers, and the realm of unexplored, unclimbed peaks is shrinking rapidly.”

“There's only one way to gain mountain sense, and that's to be in the mountains a lot. Unfortunately, when you're a young climber, you have none. You're out there, and your risk level is high.”

“The best climber in the world is the one that has the most fun.”