Be careful but be brave

Aerial photo from the south, with Mount Everest rising above the ridge connecting Nuptse and Lhotse

Reporter: Why do you want to climb Mount Everest?
George Mallory: Because it’s there

Those famous words were spoken by British climber George Mallory in 1924 when he was asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest.

East and north faces of the Matterhorn

George Pólya: If you want to climb the Matterhorn, you might first wish to go to Zermat, where those who have tried are buried.


I will make it

Keep going west

Fifty years ago a physician sailed across the Atlantic, unassisted, in a kayak to test the stresses on the human body and see if it was possible to survive for long periods at sea. It was a voyage that nearly killed him. His voyage made world headlines and showed him it was possible to survive for long periods at sea. Lindemann was by no means the first person to cross the Atlantic alone, but his feat was one of the most daring crossings in history.

In 1957 Lindemann published a best-selling book Alone at Sea