Suggested questions

1You’ve said the people operating at the leading edge are often the real source of innovation. What did mountaineering teach you about where breakthrough ideas actually come from?

2Having spent decades designing and manufacturing outdoor equipment, what do people most misunderstand about the gear they rely on in difficult environments?

3You argue that understanding the fundamentals of heat loss and layering matters more than following the latest outdoor marketing. What should people know before they head into the mountains?

4You supplied equipment to around 250 expeditions, including landmark expeditions to Annapurna and Everest. What did you witness during that era that most people never hear about?

5How did the relationship between climbers, manufacturers and equipment designers help push mountaineering forward?

6You’ve described innovation as something that often starts with people trying to solve a real problem. How did that show up in outdoor gear and expedition equipment?

7After travelling to 52 countries and spending more than 50 years immersed in adventure, how has your relationship with risk, challenge and uncertainty changed over time?

8What do you think people lose when they start using age as a reason to stop challenging themselves?

9Your new book is both a memoir and a historical account of a defining period in mountaineering. What story did you feel had still not been properly told?

10When readers finish your memoir, what do you hope they understand differently about the people, ideas and innovations behind some of mountaineering’s greatest achievements?