I don't like talking about climbing that much. You don't have to discuss; just do it.

I don't cheat.

I don't need to come back to Everest.

It's like a living process. You start out, and you see the Eiger north face, and you think, 'That's impossible.' Then you start to dream. Then you climb the Eiger north face. Then maybe you go to the Himalaya.

No one in Switzerland knows me as the Swiss Machine, and that's good, because I don't like it.

These guys make a lot of money. Of course it's hard and dangerous work, but Sherpas are the rich people in Nepal. If you make so much money, you can somehow lose reality.

I don't have a death wish. On the contrary, I'm hanging onto my life like never before.

I don't worry about other people, and I don't let them influence me too much. I try to find out what I want to do and not what other people want me to do.

Once you start, if you're still afraid, don't do it. Either it's too hard, or you're not prepared. I've never done something when I was scared.

Climbing Everest is so big now, with so much money involved, and the Sherpas are not stupid. They see this, and they want to take over the business and kick out the westerners. This is a big fight.