This is an account of the successful ascent of the Mustagh Tower in 1984 by previously little-known British climbers, and a description of the author's own feelings and experiences as a novice climber on a full-blown Himalayan expedition. The reader follows him through his preparations, the problems of adjustment, the last-minute negotiation of financial and bureaucratic obstacles, the joys and hazards of the approach route from Rawalpindi through Baltistan. The book depicts the stark and hostile beauty of the highest mountain range in the world, as well as the warm fellowship at Base Camp and above. Andrew Greig gives portraits of the members of the team, going some way towards answering the inevitable questions of why climbers climb. Andrew Greig is the author of Men on Ice, Kingdoms of Experience and The Return of John Macnab.