“I’ve seen extreme bravery from the least likely of people. Life is about the moments when it’s all gone wrong. That’s when we define ourselves.”

The only difference between ‘try’ and ‘triumph’ is varying degrees of ‘umph’

Scouts should be progressive and should be adapting. If you’re gay or not it’s irrelevant, Scouting values respect.

Exercise helps my back. If I don’t exercise, that’s when it starts to hurt. The pain is a good motivator to run and exercise.

“But, we’re also going to learn to look after each other, who to work together and who to understand and manage that risk.” That’s what it’s about, you don’t empower kids if you don’t expose them to risk.

My faith isn’t very churchy, it’s a pretty personal, intimate thing and has been a huge source of strength in moments of life and death.

I learnt another valuable lesson that night: listen to the quiet voice inside. Intuition is the noise of the mind.

That feeling when you’re so cold you’d give anything to be warm – I’ve had it before, literally huddled around a candle flame on an ice sheet.

I do see a lot of the hard end of ecology, and my feeling is that we live on a super-exciting planet but a super-fragile one.

Textbook survival says stay still, don’t take any chances, wait for rescue. That’s a boring TV show. My thing was always, “Listen, shoelace, dead squirrel and no other way down this rock face. You can do this!”

I grew up on survival shows and they were always just so…anoraky.

The truth is, I need 10 lifetimes to scratch the surface of the things I’d love to do.

Sometimes an ember is all we need.

Nothing inspires people more than reckless acts of courage.

Look, sometimes, no matter how hard you try, sometimes you need a bit of luck.

How you speak about others speaks loudest about yourself.

The hardest thing about my job isn’t the snake bites or the crocodiles, it’s being away from my children. I have a really religious satellite phone call every day back to the boys, wherever we are, whatever time zone, to say goodnight.

All the world’s bravery that delights our eyes is but thy several liveries.

War will of itself discover and lay open the hidden and rankling wounds of the victorious party.

Adversity deprives us of our judgment.

Miseram pacem vel bello bene mutari. Even war is preferable to a shameful peace.

The brave and bold persist even against fortune; the timid and cowardly rush to despair though fear alone.

The brave and bold persist even against fortune; the timid and cowardly rush to despair through fear alone. [Lat., Fortes et strenuos etiam contra fortunam insistere, timidos et ignoros ad desperationem formidine properare.]

The ability and inclination to use physical strength is no indication of bravery or tenacity to life. The greatest cowards are often the greatest bullies. Nothing is cheaper and more common than physical bravery.

War and courage have done more great things than charity. Not your sympathy, but your bravery has saved the unfotunate.