Andy Kirkpatrick may be mad. His hilarious talks suggest as much; his attempt to solo the Eiger in winter does little to dissuade the notion.

But he is not mad. And his latest blog post about his failed attempt on the Eiger is full of sensible, thought-provoking stuff about risk and motivation and failing, as well as some interesting observations about blogging/twittering from expeditions. It’s well worth a read, as usual. You can read it here, or below where I have copied some of the bits I particularly enjoyed (I had to skip the first half as I don’t understand climber speak…)

For me technology has made [blogging each day] very easy to do, and having an Iphone with me (I could check the Swiss weather every day), meant I could do a little report in about 60 seconds.  Would I do it again?  Ultimately I think this kind of thing, on such a climb, is too hard on people who care about you, as they assume, if nothing appears, that you’re in trouble. Also, getting emails from my kids was just a killer, because although I knew I was safe, there is always a risk that something could happen (BUT no more than if I’md stayed in Scotland and gone climbing grade V’s on the Ben).

Was I in a fit state to try?  Well no, but then I have never been in a fit state to try any climb.  I’mm an utterly normal person who finds fitting in even a day’s climbing in the Cairngorms difficult, juggling kids, ex-wife and girlfriend, many jobs and commitments – just like about 90% of climbers in the UK.  Call me selfish?  It’s because I’mve always striven not to let climbing make me a heartless, climbing-obsessed bastard that gets me into these scrapes in the first place.  What I have in my favour is not a six pack and a marathon physique, but… being willing to fail.  

Did I enjoy it?  It was an utter ball-ache… but how could any alpinist, given the opportunity to climb on the Eiger in winter…, to find shelter under its skin of ice and snow each night, to have the whole face to yourself not feel like like the luckiest man alive – and that the risk is worth it?

So thanks to every one who blogged and emailed and defended the indefensible, but I’mll leave the last words to some one else.

It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who know great enthusiasm, 
great devotion and the triumph of achievement. And who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly  so that his place shall never be with those odd and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. You’ve never lived until you’ve almost died. For those who have had to fight for it, life truly has a flavour the protected shall never know – Theodore Roosevelt 

Anyway it makes you think doesn’t it…

Sorry that this is quite a long post, but I’mll take any excuse to shoehorn The Man in the Arena into my day.