“The special forces gave me the self-confidence to do some extraordinary things in my life. Climbing Everest then cemented my belief in myself.”

Weather can kill you so fast. The first priority of survival is getting protection from the extreme weather.

To get ready to climb Everest, I did a lot of hill running with a daypack on and a lot of underwater swimming. I would swim a couple of lengths underwater and then a couple above. It gets your body going with limited oxygen.

The extremes of jungles, mountains, and deserts are inherently dangerous places.

I come from a line of self-motivated, determined folk – not grand, not high society, but no-nonsense, family-minded go-getters.

It can be hard to explain. But I also relate to the quote that says, Iif you have to ask, you will never understand.

The line between life or death is determined by what we are willing to do.

Life has taught me to be very cautious of a man with a dream, especially a man who has teetered on the edge of life. It gives a fire and recklessness inside that is hard to quantify.

The greatest journeys all start with a single step.

My best life lessons and education didn’t come from a classroom – they’ve come from the wild. How you act in the big moments, the ones that challenge you, scare you, tempt you, and force you to make the right decisions, is what defines you.

Don’t be scared to dream big, and don’t be afraid to be close to people. And never give up! It’s the tenacious not the talented that win.

Once a job it has begun, do not stop until it’s done. Whether it is big or small, do it well or not all.

All worthwhile journeys have big obstacles. It’s the way of the world. The rewards go to those who can push through those trying moments and still manage to keep a smile on their face.

I look back and understand the world a bit better and know how competitive it is .

The rules of survival never change, whether you’re in a desert or in an arena.

As a young boy, scouting gave me a confidence and camaraderie that is hard to find in modern life.

A friend once asked me what qualities were needed for SAS. I would say to be self-motivated and resilient; to be calm, yet have the ability to smile when it is grim; to be unflappable, be able to react fast and to have an ‘improvise, adapt and overcome’ mentality.

All my life the only thing I’ve been good at has been climbing and throwing myself off big things.

If you want someone to be ignored then build a life-size bronze statue of them and stick it in the middle of town. It doesn’t matter how great you were, it’ll always take an unfunny drunk with climbing skills to make people notice you.

There’s no magic to running far or climbing Everest. Endurance is mental strength. It’s all about heart.

If you want someone to be ignored then build a life-size bronze statue of them and stick it in the middle of town. It doesn’t matter how great you were, it’ll always take an unfunny drunk with climbing skills to make people notice you.

To put yourself into a situation where a mistake cannot necessarily be recouped, where the life you lose may be your own, clears the head wonderfully.

Press forward at all times, climbing forward toward that higher ground of the harmonious society that shapes the laws of man to the laws of God.

He had so many ways of climbing into the tree house in his head, escaping the madness below, and pulling the ladder up behind him.

On eyes that watch as well as eyes that weep Descends the solemn mystery of sleep, Toiling and climbing to the very close