Instead of the god of security, we bow to the greater god of freedom, the freedom to take risks and master danger in order to be intensely alive.

Before the deed comes the thought. Before the achievement comes the dream. Every mountain we climb, we first climb in our mind.

Climbing is a great game-great not in spite of the demands it makes, but because of them. Great because it will not let us give half of ourselves-it demands all of us. It demands our best.

With the best equipment in the world the man with poor judgment is in mortal danger.

Better we raise our skill than lower the climb

A first ascent is a creation in the same sense as is a painting or a song

A simple equation exists between freedom and numbers: the more people, the less freedom.

The rock is a field of battle between our weakness and our strength.

Some flowers need flames to find their way into this world.

Every society and religion has rules, for both have moral laws. And the essence of morality consists, as in art, of drawing the line somewhere.

There was definitely a learning curve in terms of being on film, but being on a set was all good.

The films you're making have to be faithful to the material.

A man must not only stand for the right principles, but he must also fight for them. Those who fight for principle can be proud of the friends they've gained and the enemies they've earned.

He who speaks a bit of a foreign language has more delight in it than he who speaks it well; pleasure goes along with superficial knowledge.

At least tell me you won? And that the scratches and dings were totally worth it." "Of course. They're always worth it," he says with a hidden meaning that only the two of us could ever understand.

Money should never change one’s values…. Making money is only a report card. It’s a way to tell how you’re doing.

I mean, I don't want to sound - of course it's very nice, people come up and say appreciative things about my work. But the loss, in terms of privacy and anonymity, is no small thing to me.

If we each get on a treadmill right now, one of two things is going to happen... either you're going to get off first or I am going to die. Period.