Courage

Harrer admires courage as a fundamental virtue. In his book, he argues strongly against those who criticized attempts to climb the North Face as suicidal or purposelessly dangerous. Harrer sees the North Face as a challenge where one can fully explore courage and put it to the test. He admires all who find it within themselves to brave the climb. Harrer sees the initial unsuccessful climbers as courageous pathfinders who led the way to later success. Those who died on the face, he admires for enduring the trials of the mountain, even though that endurance is self-afflicted.

Harrer encourages critical awareness of the difficulty and danger of any undertaking like the climb of the North Face, and he believes only a small percent of people are suited for extreme challenges like the Eiger's harshest climb. Still, Harrer admires even the unprepared for the endurance and courage they show...