I think Himalayan climbers tend to mature fairly late. I think most of the successful Himalayan climbers have ranged from 28 to just over 40, really.

If I'm selecting a group, the first thing I look for is a record of achievement . . . If (candidates achieve) in small things, there's a very good chance they'll perform well in big things.

I have to admit I do get a bit depressed at times and you know I think about the good old days when I was charging ahead.

I would have said that during the early days of my life there was never a moment when I wasn't fit. We worked extremely hard on the beekeeping line, and both my brother and I used to compete, particularly when we were collecting honey. We would each have an 80-pound box of honey and we would race up the hill on the Tuakau track and race back down. We just raced all the time, and we used to keep very fit indeed.

Nothing can replace courage, a resounding motivation and that little bit of luck.

Many people have been getting too casual about climbing Everest. I forecast a disaster many times.

There is precious little in civilization to appeal to a yeti.