A central message that Jordan conveys throughout No Summit out of Sight is the power of setting and achieving goals and what this can mean for an individual and for the world. When Jordan is 10 years old, he considers himself “the ultimate goal setter” (6). He knows that the goal of climbing the world’s eight tallest mountains is a massive undertaking that will be complex, costly, and require more effort than he has ever put into anything. Still, he goes for it and wisely dives into research before presenting the idea to his parents, showing his attention to planning things out carefully and thoroughly. Jordan notes several key elements in setting and achieving goals, the most important of which is determination: “I set a goal and wasn’t going to quit, no matter what” (58).

When Jordan’s parents first take him up the mountain at Big Bear Lake and tell him to climb, however, he gets tired and bored in minutes. When Karen mentions reptiles, Jordan gets excited and starts searching for snakes and lizards. Before he even realizes what’s happening, he reaches the top of the mountain without issue.