Anatoli Boukreev Russian Athlete Quotations

I told them, you can succeed - it's not likely the first time, maybe 25 per cent, but you CAN succeed. You can also die. By April 16 they had already been to camp III, well ahead of most teams.

Concerned that others were not coming onto the summit and because I had no radio link to those below me, I began to wonder if there were difficulties down the mountain. I made the decision to descend.

I want this book to be facts, to be important, to be history.

I explained I wanted to descend as quickly as possible to camp IV in order to warm myself and gather a supply of hot drink and oxygen in the event I might need to go back up the mountain to assist descending climbers.

What we can do now is contribute to a clearer understanding of what happened that day on Everest in the hope that the lessons to be learned will reduce the risk for others who, like us, take on the challenge of the mountains.

There are many questions, but I cannot answer because I'm not a businessman, I am a climber.

I said to Scott that the ascent seemed to be going slowly and that I was concerned descending climbers could possibly run out of oxygen before their return to camp IV.

I will advise them on how to reach the summit, I will show them how, and I will help them, but I cannot be responsible for their safety.

I see the psychology of this team, I see they respect me very much as a climber, not like last year - these people value what I bring to them.