I always, I would say, make sure that in my presentation I'll have what I want to do. I try and make it so interesting to my companions that they want to go, too. I don't have to twist any arms or make - you know - any great challenges available.

Despite all I have seen and experiences, I still get the same thrill out of glimpsing a tiny patch of snow in a high mountain gully and feel the same urge to climb toward it.

I get older I get more cantankerous, but June [Hillary] gets a bit more cantankerous, too.

I had a very strong desire to carry out adventures, but in those early days I didn't actually do any. I just dreamt about it.

I think that a good mountaineer is usually a sensible mountaineer.

George Lowe was the one who opened the mail, and George started laughing uproariously and I looked up at him in astonishment and said, "What's so funny?" And he said, "You've been given a title", and I said, "Ha, ha, big joke." I didn't believe him but, sure enough, in this letter it indicated that the Queen had given me a title.

My mother really was the strength in our family. She would sort of keep us in line and I admired her very much .