In 1987， I was in Pakistan to climb Gasherbrum II， one of the world' s highest peaks. We were a small group and it was a very big mountain. Our expedition faced more than its share of difficulty： A long storm wiped out most of our food rations and an avalanche devastated our camp， obliterating our tents. One of our party developed altitude sickness； blood poisoning threatened another. In the face of each disaster， we carefully developed a new plan. Snow caves replaced lost tents. Soups replaced full meals. Eventually we climbed slowly to the top， then made our way safely down.
Concentrating on how I move through the world is important. It' s why I reach mountain summits and life goals with energy to spare.
There is magic in any faith. Every once in a while， rushing about， my belief in pace rises up， slows me down and grants me a view of a sunset， a smile from a stranger or a conversation with a child. I owe these moments to what I learned from an old mountain climber and have practiced ever since.
我十分相信速度的重要性。我從小就是在風風火火的環境中長大的，父母整整一周每天24小時無休止地忙碌。我從小就莽撞，直到現在還是沒有多大改變，做起事來經常是草草了事，注重片麵，錯誤不斷。
我家屋後的林子是一個靜靜歇息的好地方。我熱衷於挑戰垂直高度，從開始爬後院的大樹，到後來攀爬懸崖峭壁。十幾歲的時候，美國西部的地形對我來說已沒有什麽難度，攀爬起來非常輕鬆。後來，我便轉向了更高的頂峰。19歲時，我從一位名叫保羅·佩索特的攀山老前輩那裏學習了一種叫“歇步”的攀山方法。他告訴我，在步與步之間要有完全而短暫的停歇。時至今日，我還在練習“歇步”。正是這種步伐，讓我走路或爬山省了不少力氣。雖然我每走一步都有所停頓，但動作仍然敏捷迅速。