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。我从小就是在风风火火的环境中长大的，父母整整一周每天24小时无休止地忙碌。我从小就莽撞，直到现在还是没有多大改变，做起事来经常是草草了事，注重片面，错误不断。
我家屋后的林子是一个静静歇息的好地方。我热衷于挑战垂直高度，从开始爬后院的大树，到后来攀爬悬崖峭壁。十几岁的时候，美国西部的地形对我来说已没有什么难度，攀爬起来非常轻松。后来，我便转向了更高的顶峰。19岁时，我从一位名叫保罗·佩索特的攀山老前辈那里学习了一种叫“歇步”的攀山方法。他告诉我，在步与步之间要有完全而短暂的停歇。时至今日，我还在练习“歇步”。正是这种步伐，让我走路或爬山省了不少力气。虽然我每走一步都有所停顿，但动作仍然敏捷迅速。