It's the journey toward doing these harder climbs that really gives value to the whole activity of climbing.
I think climbing is less a sport and more a hobby, and as such, I think everybody's a beginning climber.
There are two kinds of climbers, those who climb because their heart sings when they're in the mountains, and all the rest.
Rather than being a risk-taker as such, I consider myself and my climbing peers to be risk-controllers, and we just enjoy being in this situation and keeping risk at a reasonable level.
I often start into these trips knowing that there's an underlying purpose that transcends merely climbing a peak.