Trango was the first of his books, many of which have taken certain mountains in the Karakorum as their subject. It's an account of the successful expedition to climb one of the most sought-after spires in the Greater Ranges, and stars Mo Anthoine, Martin Boyson, Malcolm Howells, Tony Riley and Joe Brown. All the characteristic hallmarks of Curran's writing are present, the good-natured matey style the self-critical honesty, the banter, and the mischievous jokes (e.g. There's a photo featuring a tumescent Joe Brown bathing and smoking in the nude on p. 63; caption reads 'Joe Brown is the one with the cigar').

 

The result is a straightforward anecdote-driven account of a happy and successful expedition but one which is written at a brisk pace with vivid first-person accounts of the energy-sapping misery of high-altitude climbing. Insights into the character of Curran's fellow expeditioners are largely notable by their absence but the sheer unpretentious honesty of the writing stands out in clear distinction with many other expedition books of the period. A readable and unglamorised account of an important breakthrough in Karakorum climbing.