Eternal Alpinist: A bottom-to-top climbing memoir

‘There is something very special about finding a spectacular objective, looking forward to it for a long time and then achieving exactly what one has set out to do.’

Newly retired and immersed in the logistical and bureaucratic maze of planning an expedition to Chombu – an unclimbed Himalayan peak in the Indian state of Sikkim – Mick Fowler’s life is turned upside down by a cancer diagnosis.

In Eternal Alpinist, his fourth volume of climbing memoirs following Vertical Pleasure, On Thin Ice and No Easy Way, Mick describes – with his trademark dry wit – his determined and at times frustrating attempts to regain ‘mountain fitness’ and return to the places he loves most. Reaching Chombu with his climbing partner Victor Saunders becomes a constant focus during treatment and recovery.

Known for seeking out mountaineering challenges that are remote, eye catching and unclimbed, Mick continues to pursue objectives far from the ordinary. Along with Chombu, he takes us to sea stacks in County Kerry, Spitzkoppe in Namibia, Yawash Sar in Pakistan and Patkhor in Tajikistan.

Follow Mick, one of mountaineering’s most engaging storytellers, as he adapts to new limitations while continuing to pursue the challenges and adventures that have shaped his life.