A Quote by George Leigh Mallory

Because it's there. (when asked why he wanted to climb Everest)

George Leigh Mallory

Quote Topics

Asked Because Climb Everest Wanted Why

Quote Author

George Leigh Mallory
British - Celebrity
June 18, 1886 - 1924

Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said Because it is there. Well, space is there, and were going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there.

John F. Kennedy

Why climb Mount Everest? Because it's there.

George Leigh Mallory

- Why do you want to climb Mt. Everest, Sir? - Because it is there.

George Leigh Mallory

Everest has a special place in all of our imaginations. For centuries, Everest was a little bit like the moon. It was the place where everyone wanted to go. Empires wanted to be able to say that they were the first to put a climber on top of Everest. So when a tragedy happens up on that mountain, I think it has a global resonance. Everybody's heard of Everest. Everybody knows what Everest is and what it means, and the significance.

Richard Engel

Why climb? That's a question that baffles me. It perplexes me. I really asked that a lot on Everest. I can't justify it. I can't say it's for a good cause. All I can say is look at the history of exploration: it's full of vainglorious pursuits.

Jon Krakauer

I've always been a big fan of the Yeti, simply because I have an affiliation to Everest - who was the New Zealander, Sir Edmund Hillary, the guy that conquered it. He actually went on an expedition after the Everest climb to look for the Yeti, and they didn't find it, but they found a footprint and some hair samples that turned out to be a goat or something.

Rhys Darby

I have climbed Everest from the Nepal route and the China route. The other routes are too hard for me. So I don't think I can climb Everest again.

Tamae Watanabe

Because it is there [famous explanation for wanting to climb Mount Everest].

George Leigh Mallory

Jesus Christ did not ask much from us, He did not demand that people climb Mount Everest or make great sacrifices. He just asked that we love one another.

Chico Xavier

The answer is that I do want to climb Everest, but I don't want to go to Everest. I don't want to be cold. I can't take the time. It's just not practical.

Jesse Itzler

Of course I climbed Everest without oxygen, but it's not the end of the story for me. The summit itself is not what counts. It's how'd you get there, what'd you climb, and there are really great opportunities to climb on this mountain. It's a beautiful place.

Ueli Steck

I really wanted to make 'Everest' visceral, real. One thing that amazed me when I was scouting in base camp is the volume of Everest: It's humbling. I wanted to find a way to bring that to the screen. One way was 3D.

Baltasar Kormakur

I convinced my wife to let me climb Everest. I emptied my savings and took out a loan so I could afford to make the trip. I wanted to do it solo and I pushed myself too hard. I was carrying too much gear and got altitude sickness. I meditated to the point where I was feeling better, but didn't make it up, because I got involved with a rescue.