Alan Arnette Answers The Age Old Question "Why Climb Everest?"

When asked why he wanted to climb Everest, George Mallory famously answered "Because its there." That quote has gone on to become the most famous in all of mountaineering, and it is a popular answer even today, some 90 years later.

But for those of you who want a bit more of a reason, Alan Arnette has attempted to give us all an answer. In his latest blog post, he polls some of his friends who have attempted to climb Everest in recent years – some successfully, some not – to share their thoughts on why anyone would climb the tallest mountain on the planet. As you can imagine, their responses are interesting and varied.

The responses reveal that each of the climbers have their own reasons to go up the Big Hill. Some do it for the challenge, some get inspiration from the high places of our world, and others just have a passion for the mountains. I think you'll be surprised at some of the responses and as the 2014 Spring season begins to loom on the horizon, this interesting article will start to get you thinking about what the mountaineers will be facing in a few months time.

None of these will go down in history as being as famous as "Because it's there" but if you have a love of adventure and an interest in Everest, they'll resonate with you none the less.