Patience is a key word in high altitude mountaineering. Many time we have seen parties battle their way upward in poor weather and conditions, unwilling or unable to wait for the inevitable improvement. After a brief and challenging stay up high in the wind, they come down, battered, just as the conditions improve. Even sadder, we have seen many expedition leave the peak without having made a serious attempt, simply unwilling to believe that the weather will get better. And most tragically, climbers who ascend too fast play Russian roulette with high altitude pulmonary or cerebral edema.
Patience is key.
Fitness is another necessary ingredient. Climbers need the kind of fitness which enables them to keep going all day long. Because of the extended nature of the climb and its brutal weather and cold, packs are often large and heavy. Legs lungs and heart are the necessary ingredients. Psychological fitness is also critical.