"Taoism taught me to focus on the process and not to be attached to preconceived ideas of what I thought the outcome should be."
"When I show up in New York, and I look at the skyline, it's like showing up in a mountain range. My gaze goes toward the most impressive-looking climb. It's always gone to the top of the World Trade Center."
"I like to think that images of people doing amazing things may open people's eyes to the human potential, to the idea that people can do the extraordinary when they set their minds to it."
"I loved going to the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial in Taipei to watch all the old Chinese people doing tai chi and practicing kung fu. The monument was made of white marble, and it was beautiful. Sometimes my dad and I would practice with them."
"Becoming a parent has changed the risk calculus for me. But it might be age, too, and seeing a lot of friends die in the mountains. Will I take the same risks I took in my 20s? Probably not, but I will always push myself in the mountains."
"It's hard to take people seriously who say you're totally irresponsible if you go out and climb mountains when you have kids, because they clearly don't understand the circumstances. You can't impose your own acceptance of risk on other people - that's not fair."
"The thing that I've always believed is that you have to follow your passion, and if climbing is your calling in life and your craft, to not do it is a tragedy. I am always going to encourage my children to follow their passions and dreams, whatever they are."
"There's intense personal gratification in finding a mountain and becoming inspired by the aesthetics of an unclimbed line on that mountain, especially if that line has been tried by a lot of people who couldn't do it, and you get to set yourself up against the history of it."
"I really believe that, as human beings, we have an innate need to explore, to see what's around the corner."
"I try to live intentionally, and the things that move me, I'm going to throw myself at them. I want to see what my potential is. I'm always curious to see what the edge is."
"I won't ski in the backcountry the day after a big storm anymore. The mountains are so humbling. As soon as you think you're on top or crushing it, that's when you need to be really careful."
"Mentorship is an incredibly huge responsibility. And you need to choose your mentors carefully, just like mentors choose their apprentices carefully. There has to be trust there, on a very deep level."
"As a professional climber, that's the question you always get: Why, why, why? It's an ineffable thing; you can't describe it."
"I've hidden behind the camera my whole life because I much, much, much prefer shooting. Being behind the camera is my safe space, and it's my creative space, too."
"Meru was the most challenging climb of my life. Not once but twice."
"The way we approached Meru, and the way we approach a lot of these mountains, is with humility. A sense of, 'Is it going to give us passage?' Your mental attitude can affect the outcome."
"You learn over years of expeditions that having faith, and putting one foot in front of the other, you do end up pulling off climbs that seem completely impossible. There's a certain beauty to that. It has an allure."
"The best alpinists are the ones with the worst memories."
"The two great risks are risking too much but also risking too little. That's for each person to decide. For me, not risking anything is worse than death. By far."
"I like the idea of infinite human potential, and a lot of my photography and filmmaking has been focused on that."
"I've always been interested in working with top athletes, athletes who are pushing the edge and are really progressive in the outdoor space and adventure world."
"I'm constantly out of my mind trying to stay in shape."
"Creating films and photographs through situations that few others could experience is my life's inspiration."
"When you're climbing something as challenging as Meru, it's all about efficiency. Even a decision as small as what to eat for dinner would expend energy you need for making other, more dramatic decisions."
"I've tried to eat little shrubs before. We were on an unsupported 20-plus day traverse, following the migration of endangered antelope across the Chang Tang Plateau. We were like, 'Oh, this is what they ate; we should try it.'"
