Nothing substitutes a large apprenticeship, a heap of experiences which converts into the base of intuition.
Pucky lads, a wee bit over their heads.
History may be accurate. But archaeology is precise.
If you want to climb it badly enough, you will. So... why bother ?
At its finest moments climbing allows me to step out of ordinary existence into something extraordinary, stripping me of my sense of self-importance.
Like it or not taking risks, by a total commitment to the mountain and the vagaries of the weather, is essential for the greater satisfaction to be derived from mountaineering.