8000 Metres: All 14 summits

In this book, renowned mountaineer Alan Hinkes relates his experiences of climbing the highest mountains known to man; the success and failures, the expeditions and partners; the beauty, harshness and danger of Earth's loftiest environs. The first British climber to reach all 14 of the world's peaks over 8000m, and the 15th person ever to do so, his 2005 summit of Kangchenjunga was the crowning achievement of an 18-year journey - joining the elite few who have completed global mountaineering's most distinguished goal. Alongside Alan's down-to-earth accounts of his summits of such awe-inspiring peaks as Everest, Manaslu, K2, Annapurna and Kangchenjunga, the book features the stunning photographs from his expeditions, which are all the more impressive for having been taken under the extreme circumstances of some of the world's most challenging settings. Alan's motto throughout every expedition was 'No mountain is worth a life. Coming back is a success and the summit is only a bonus'. After reaching each of these 14 peaks, Alan came back every time, always in one piece, always with a new inspiring tale to tell. Having had time to reflect on his immense achievement, in this book he now recounts his experiences of them all.