<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><p>In March 1985, Mal Duff led a new expedition to conquer Everest by the unclimbed north-east ridge.The last attempt by a Chris Bonington team had ended in failure and tragedy - with the deaths of two great climbers, Joe Tasker and Pete Boardman.</p><p>Everyone knew the risks as well as the excitement of the challenge. In this extraordinary book, Greig chronicles not only the assault on the peak but also the complex inter-relationships of nineteen very different personalities living together.</p><p/><br></br><p><b> From the Back Cover </b></p></br></br><p>With an introduction by Chris Bonington</p><p>"A classic in mountaineering literature." <i>Geographical Magazine</i></p><p>In March 1985, Mal Duff led a new expedition to conquer Everest by the unclimbed north-east ridge. The last attempt by a Chris Bonington team had ended in failure and tragedy - with the deaths of two great climbers, Joe Tasker and Pete Boardman.</p><p>Everyone knew the risks as well as the excitement of the challenge. In this extraordinary book, short-listed for the Boardman-Tasker Awards, Greig chronicles not only the assault on the peak but also the complex inter-relationships of nineteen very different personalities living together, yet each very much alone.</p><p>"Allows us privileged insights into the minds of these adventurers ... Canongate have chosen well in re-issuing this important mountaineering journal." <i>The Herald</i><br>"A wonderful, gritty expedition book." Chris Bonington</p><p>Front cover photograph: North East ridge of Everest. Courtesy: Chris Bonington Picture Library. Design by James Hutcheson</p><p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br>A wonderful, gritty expedition book.--Chris Bonnington<br><p/><br></br><p><b> About the Author </b></p></br></br>Andrew Greig was born and brought up in Scotland. He has published many collections of poetry, including <i>Men on Ice</i> (Canongate) and two novels, <i>Electric Brae</i> (Canongate), which was short-listed for the MacVitie's Prize and received a Scottish Arts Council Award, and <i>The Return of John MacNab</i> (Headline), which topped the Scottish best-seller list in 1996. He took part in a number of Himalayan expeditions and from his experiences wrote <i>Summit Fever</i> (Hutchinson) and <i>Kingdoms of Experience</i> (Hutchinson).