13 Quotes by Royal Robbins

Before the deed comes the thought. Before the achievement comes the dream. Every mountain we climb, we first climb in our mind.

Better we raise our skill than lower the climb.

Climbing is a great game-great not in spite of the demands it makes, but because of them. Great because it will not let us give half of ourselves-it demands all of us. It demands our best.

The rock is a field of battle between our weakness and our strength. We wouldn’t touch rock if we were perfectly self-controlled. And he who would climb and live must continuously wage this battle and never let folly win. It’s an outrageously demanding proposition. But I never said it was easy.

Instead of the god of security, we bow to the greater god of freedom, the freedom to take risks and master danger in order to be intensely alive.

When it’s been a long day of climbing, and I feel like I can’t go any farther, I concentrate on the next three feet. And then the next three feet; and then the next three feet. Pretty soon, I’m at the top.

With the best equipment in the world the man with poor judgment is in mortal danger.

A simple equation exists between freedom and numbers: the more people, the less freedom.

Our ascent, of course, does not end the possibility for new accomplishments on El Capitan. The day will probably come when this climb will be done in five days, perhaps less; and a younger generation will make a new route on the west face.