Great Mountain Quotes | 30 of my Favoritees

Mountains are powerful. They fill us with a sense of awe, inspiration, and even sometimes dread. It’s no surprise that there are thousands of great mountain quotes inspired by these immense peaks and crags. Here is our collection of fifty great mountain quotes I’ve come across in my travels and research.

1) "It's not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves." -Sir Edmund Hillary

2) "Stop staring at mountains. Climb them instead. Yes, it's a harder process, but it'll lead you to a better view." -Unknown

3) "Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some us more than we can ever learn from books." -John Lubbock

4) "You are not in the mountains. The mountains are in you." -John Muir

5) "Every mountain-top is within reach if you just keep climbing." -Barry Finlay

6) "I've realized that at the top of the mountain, there's another mountain." -Andrew Garfield

7) "The best view comes after the hardest climb." -Unknown

8) "Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air, and behold the world. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you." -David McCullough Jr.

9) "The mountains are calling, and I must go." -John Muir

10) "I like the mountains because they make me feel small... they help me sort out what's important in life." -Mark Obmascik

11) "Somewhere between the bottom of the climb and the summit is the answer to the mystery why we climb." -Greg Child

12) "Never measure the height of a mountain until you reach the top. Then you will see how low it was." -Dag Hammerskjold

13) "Over every mountain, there is a path. Although it may not be seen from the valley." -Theodore Roethke

14) "I love to sit on a mountain top and gaze. I don't think of anything but the people I care about and the view." -Julian Lennon

15) "Sometimes, you climb the mountain, and you fall and fail. Maybe there is a different path that will take you up. Sometimes a different mountain." -Caterina Fake

16) "Only if you have been in the deepest valley can you ever know how magnificient it is to be on the highest mountain." -Richard Nixon

17) "There's no glory in climbing a mountain if all you want to do is get to the top. It's experiencing the climb itself - in all its moments of revelation, heartbreak, and fatigue - that has to be the goal." -Karyn Kusama

18) "Mountains are not fair or unfair; they are just dangerous." -Reinhold Messner

19) Mountains know secrets we need to learn. That it might take time, it might be hard, but if you just hold on long enough, you will find the strength up." -Tyler Knott"

20) "Mountains have a way of dealing with overconfidence." -Nemann Buhl

21) "Each fresh peak ascended teaches something." -Sir Martin Conway

22) "When we tire of well-worn ways, we seek for new. The restless craving in the souls of men spurs them to climb, and to seek the mountain view." -Ella Wheeler Wilcox

23) "He who climbs upon the highest mountains laughs at all tragedies, real or imaginary." -Friedrich Nietzsche

24) "Jumping from boulder to boulder and never falling with a heavy pack is easier than it sounds. You just can't fall once you get into the rhythm of the dance." -Jack Kerouac

25) "No matter how tall the mountain is, it cannot completely block the sun." -Emily Kay McAllister

26) "Adventure isn't hanging off a rope on the side of a mountain. Adventure is an attitude that we must apply to the day to day obstacles of life." -John Amatt

27) "Be like a mountain; do not let anything disturb your inner peace." -Debasish Mirdha

28) "The way up to the top of the mountain is always longer than you think. Don't fool yourself, the moment will come when what seemed so near is still very far." -Paulo Coelho

29) "Every great achievement is but a small peak in the mountain range of contributions." -Dale Mortensen

30) "I think, every time I'm on a mountain, I'm just so thankful to be there." -Chloe Kim

What are your Favorite Great Mountain Quotes?

Still looking for more great mountain quotes? Click here to see my Colorado Rocky Mountain Quote blog.

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Alex Derr

Alex is an Eagle Scout and mountaineer living in Denver, Colorado. He created The Next Summit to help others stay safe exploring the mountains and advocate to preserve the peaks for the future. You can subscribe to his Next Summit Newsletter here.