How to get the best of it all? One must conquer, achieve, get to the top; one must know the end to be convinced that one can win the end - to know there\'s no dream that mustn’t be dared. . . Is this the summit, crowning the day? How cool and quiet! We’re not exultant; but delighted, joyful; soberly astonished. . . Have we vanquished an enemy? None but ourselves. Have we gained success? That word means nothing here. Have we won a kingdom? No… and yes. We have achieved an ultimate satisfaction… fulfilled a destiny… To struggle and to understand - never this last without the other; such is the law…George Mallory
Climbing Everest: The Complete Writings of George Mallory