Rules usually exist for a reason. But you shouldn’t think of them as strict laws that should be followed blindly; instead, rules should be viewed more as guiding principles, as suggestions worth considering versus absolutes.

You need to demonstrate that you are willing to take the same risks, endure the same pain, and make the same sacrifices as everyone else.

So don’t let the fact that you haven’t slept before a tough day on the trail (or in the office) create unnecessary anxiety. Just push through it. It’s a short-term thing. It’s temporary.

Maybe so. No one can know for sure what would have happened, but I can tell you that people will always be more inclined to help people they know as opposed to people they don’t know.

What we say matters. What we do makes a difference. And how we lead has impact. We all need to be better leaders. If we put some effort into that, there is no limit to the amount of positive influence we can have on the people around us.

By contrast, guides who are strong leaders care about helping the team achieve its goals. They help people perform the best they can, and they put the team’s interests before their own. And like any good leader, a good guide isn’t concerned about getting credit or recognition; he or she is concerned about contributing to the team’s overall success.

A group is only a team when every member of the group cares as much about helping the other members as they care about helping themselves.

life. If it were not for some heavy-duty networking I would never have had the opportunity to climb the Seven Summits and ski to both Poles. My participation in each of those expeditions came as a result of others helping me to get to those places.

while willpower may help you get you to the top, you better have technique and ability if you plan to get yourself and your team back down. People often forget that the top is only the halfway point. The majority of deaths on big peaks occur after people have reached the summit, because they have used every ounce of energy they have to get to the