K2

I just read a book that is the story of K2. K2that's the second tallest mountain in the world. It's much further north, has totally unpredictable weather, and is generally a much more dangerous and rigorous climb that Everest. In fact, on Everest, for every 19 people that reach the top, one person dies. On K2, that ratio is 4 people on the top to one death. Crazy. In 2008 at least 290 people reached the top of Everest while only 18 sumitted on K2. The guy who wrote the book (K2: Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain) is one of the people who has stood on the top of K2. Awesome.
So right, enough with the book report. Here's some quotes nd thoughts I took from the book.

- "Climbing is all about freedom.... The mountains are all about going ther eto do what you want to do. That's why I'll never tell anyone else how to climb. All I can say is, This is how I prefer to do it.
Wouldn't it be awesome if people took this approach to life in general a little more often!

 - "Crevasses don't care if you're a pro or not."
Amen. No matter how brilliant or beyond something I think I am, I hope I never forget that I am human and flawed and prone to being wrong, just like everyone else.

-  "Paula [the author's wife] has always insisted, 'Don't call me from the summit. Call me when you get back to camp.' She knows from experience that standing on the summit doesn't mean that you've climbed the mountain."
Yeah. Another lesson I hope I never forget. It ain't over til it's well and truly finished, no matter how much you want it to be or how good it feels to reach a goal.

- "'...wherever I go, anything is possible.'"
That was a quote from the diary another climber kept on K2. The diarist was quoting his climbing partner. (Kurt Diemberger quoting Julie Tullis, if you're interested. Julie was one of the people who died on K2 during a summer rife with K2 fatalities in 1986).
I like the wonder in this quote. And the hope. Where ever I am, what ever I am, who ever I am, every moment is full of every possibility.