Inside China, there is a mountain that is a legend. Rising 24,900 feet above sea level, Gongga Shan is the tallest mountain in China. Some say the mountain is alive, for its icy, steep slopes are continuously being shaped by landslides and earthquakes. Many attemps to reach the summit have been unsuccessful, ending in injury or death.

In 1982, mountaineer and author Joe Murphy led an expedition of American climbersto the legendary mountain to scale its treacherous slopes. During their six-week climb, the mountaineers battled Himalayan blizzards, raging winds, temperatures well below zero, and avanlanches. In the end, two members of the expedition reached Gongga Shan's towering summit, and everyone returned, alive and well, to tell of their great adventure beyond the clouds.

The author led the American expedition to Gongga Shan (Minya Kongka) in 1982. He led the 1984 American Shisha Pangma expedition, which completed the 2nd American ascent of that 26,000 feet Tibetan peak. He was also a memeber of the American expeditions to Nun in 1980 and to Istor-o-nal in Pakistan in 1955, one of the early Alpine-style Himalayan expeditions. A former vice-president and director of the American Alpine Club, he is also a member of the Himalayan Club, the Alpine Club of Canada, and the Explorers Club.

With color illustrations. Appendix A: A Note for Young Climbers, Appendix B: The Gongga Shan Time Line, Glossary, Suggested Reading, Index.

Pre-owned. Good Condition, with good dust jacket, ex-library copy.