At 12,200 feet and breathing easy.

Fourth Day: At the summit our guide greeted us individually with a handshake and congratulations. 

Before we broke for lunch, we spent some time considering a few inspirational words from an Outward Bound field handbook: 

" Climbing is not a battle with the elements, nor against the law of gravity; it's a battle against oneself. 

....

Strong emotion is what the climber lives for. Fear and joy are the two strongest of all. The climber who feels no fear is very unlucky, for this means that he is simply unfeeling altogether. If he can't feel fear, he certainly can't feel the sublime joy of victory. 

It is to conquer fear that one becomes a climber. The climber experiences life to its extreme limits. A climber is not a crazy man. He is not trying to get himself killed. He knows what life is worth. He is in love with living. 

Walter Bonatti 

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