world’s highest peak, Mallory said only this: “Because it is there.” George Mallory died on Mount Everest. His body was undiscovered for 75 years, before it was found in 1999… the freezing temperatures had perfectly preserved his body, and the exposed skin of his back had been whitened by the sun. This wasn’t a man who allowed comfort to hold him back —hell, by twenty this man had climbed virtually every peak there was to climb in Europe. He fought in the trenches of WWI as well. A fearless man.

Why do we Climb? “Because it’s there.” Here’s what Mallory really said, & it’s beautiful. | elephant journal