Cicerone Book: 8000 Metres: Climbing the World's Highest Mountains : Alan Hinkes

Book: 8000 Metres: Climbing the World's Highest Mountains : Alan Hinkes

Alan Hinkes is the first Briton to climb all the world’s 8000m mountains. These giant peaks are all in the Himalaya and Karakoram ranges of Nepal, Tibet and Pakistan.

Here he recounts his expeditions to these mountains, from the first British ascent of Manaslu to the final climb on storm-bound Kangchenjunga.

Hinkes explored the mountains alongside a tiny number of elite climbers similarly drawn to the extreme hardships and challenges of high-altitude mountaineering.

Most of the climbs were made Alpine-style, as part of small, lightweight expeditions. A number of summits, including K2 and Kangchenjunga, were climbed solo.

This graphic account of his immense achievement is richly illustrated with his unique and dramatic photographs, taken under extreme conditions. As Joe Cornish writes, ‘His photographs are both a moving documentary record, and artistic expression, of what it means to encounter the highest places in the world.’

Most importantly for Alan Hinkes, he returned from his 8000m challenge in one piece, able to enjoy the company of his family and to continue climbing and walking in his favourite local hills of Yorkshire and the north of England.