Eight significant quotes

1. "This long road to recovery had taught me life is precious. i had learnt this the hard way.i had come within an inch of losing all my movement and, but above all i had gained an understanding of the cards that i had been playing with. this scared me" (Grylls 8). This quote describes Bears reaction to when he broke his back jumping out of a plane. This is a significant quote because it is the main source of Bears appreciation for like. This will appear later in the book when Bear shows great presence of mind even in the thin air on Everest. Bear knows his limits and the dangers and because of this near death event Bear will make more rational descsions and possibly save his own life.
2."It has taken all my energy and resourcefulness to raise the finance to organize this expedition for myself; i doubt if i could do it again. Because of this, I'm well aware i've only got one chance up there"(Grylls 43). This quote was taken from one of Bear's journal entries and has a great importance through out the book. Bear knows that this will be his only chance to climb Everest so he must reach the summit now if he is ever going to. This fact will help Bear carry on when no one else has the energy. In the end it is this little piece of knowledge that gets bear to the summit.
3."another very cold night here, but I'm slowly learning the tricks of the trade. The most fundamental one being to fill a water bottle with boiling water keeps the toes warm for hours, and evokes all sorts of good emotions"(Grylls 65) This is an important quote because it shows Bears ability to adapt to all sorts of conditions. Bear is always coming up with innovative ways to make his tent more comfortable or keep warm on a cold night. This quality helps Bear get along with his team during the long months awaiting the summit by making their lives more comfortable.
4"I woke up from a deep slumber to the sound of excited voices outside my tent. Sherpas were scurrying around frantically"(Grylls 158). This is a important quote because it is the start of the most dangerous part of the climb. This is the day that the summit attempt starts. The last year of training and three months acclimatizing all comes down to one climb. It will take over thirty six hours were no sleep will be attained and over thirty thousand vertical feet covered. This is the beginning to the real journey so it is basically everything the book has lead up to.
5"Promise me you won't go up there while your like this. promise, Bear. Don't be stupid. You know what would happen, okay?"( Grylls182). Family is very important in this book and this is Lara Bear's sister telling him not to climb until he feels better. If it was not for this call Bear might have gone ahead with the climb and the results could have been catastrophic. This is important to the overall theme of family too.
6"I felt that this was all i had up here. My God was the only person i felt who understood me now"(Grylls 232). Through out the book Bear has received a lot of comfort in God and now he needs him more than ever. This quote is important because it shows how Bear made it this far and just needed a little help to make that last push. God is very significant in Bears like and this shows how he relies on him for support.
7"I feel pressure to climb well and live up to their standards; it frightens me"(Grylls 116). This quote is significant because it makes Bear seem more real. This fear and vulnerability shows how Bear is still really just a kid and at age twenty three he is. This quote leads to a better understanding of the struggles he faced feeling like he had to keep up.
8."Mick and i were traveling about four weeks ahead of Neil and Geoffrey, the idea being to get a little extra time at high altitude before the climb itself would start. We wanted to really begin to focus on the job ahead; away form the "busyness" of before"(Grylls 39). Although this quote may seem relatively insignificant it was the key to Bear and Mick's success. While the others turned back on the trip to the summit Bear and Mick had the stamina to carry on because of the extra month spent in the mountains. Also by the time the expedition began they were both completely ready while others still questioned their ability and the risk.