Bear Grylls, the famous adventurer and TV show host, said in an interview that he wouldn’t climb Mount Everest, Earth’s highest peak, again. While Grylls never suggests that he regrets his initial Everest summit in 1998 at age 23, he does say that he has no desire to reach the top of the famed peak again—at least not at this point in his life.
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“Is any mountain really worth a life? The clear answer is no,” he says in interview footage posted to his Instagram account. “[. . .] And that’s why I think now with a bit of time and experience—would I do it now? Would I take the one in six chance of not coming home? No, because you have more to live for.”
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Grylls explains that when he did summit Everest (a feat he accomplished just two years after a serious spinal injury that nearly took his life), he felt differently. He felt the risk was worth it. Grylls explained that he really wanted to make a mark at a young age, so he decided to go for it. Now with three grown children, Grylls’ views have changed, and he encourages others not to put extremely risky adventure above all else.
“Adventure always comes with risk, but it should never make you blind to what really matters: family and friendship,” he wrote in his Instagram post sharing the clip.
Watch Bear Grylls explain why he wouldn’t climb Everest again:
Header stock image by Feng Wei Photography/Getty Images
