One of the biggest dangers of mountain-climbing is “summit fever”.

You climb 90% of the way to the top only to encounter an obstacle that makes it too dangerous to continue: Too little time, an incoming storm, whatever.

After all that effort you can’t complete your climb.

The right thing to do is turn back, descend.

“Summit fever” befalls those who simply can’t accept defeat. You press on in spite of the dangers, successfully reaching the summit, but then find you can’t descend before nightfall, or you get lost in a snow storm.

You end up dying alone and in the dark.

Beware summit fever.

Sometimes you just have to give up and turn around.

“Great opportunities come around more often than we acknowledge and the trick is picking the right one that suits your circumstances and timing. If not, that great opportunity has the very real potential to sink you. Not all great opportunities should be taken, no matter how compelling the potential.” Matt Gray

Live to fight another day.