NZ, 1965, 1st edition, 2nd printing. 199 pp, 24 plates. An account of the 1960 Makalu expedition under the leadership of Hillary. The account of Hillary's 1960 expedition to Makalu where he experimented with the effects of high altitude climbing without oxygen. Mulgrew, who accompanied Hillary (and whose widow ended up marrying Hillary), recounts the expedition with humour and without self-pity although he suffered tremendously of frostbite, and had to be brought back down before reaching the summit. He also tells of the amusing aim of the expedition in attempting to capture a live yeti! No DJ, Near Fine. SIGNED by Ed Hillary and June Mulgrew.
(June Mulgrew is Mrs. Ed Hillary. Lady June told us she can sign as June Mulgrew, June Hillary or even as Peter Mulgrew, as her deceased first husband Peter lost his fingers to frostbite on Makalu and she always signed his name for him!)
To climb 27,790-foot Makalu without oxygen, to carry out high altitude physiological research and to capture an Abominable Snowman: such were the aims of the Himalayan Scientific and Mountaineering Expedition, led by Sir Edmund Hillary, which set off in 1960. With Hillary went Peter Mulgrew, of the Royal New Zealand Navy, an experienced mountaineer who had accompanied Hillary to the South Pole in 1957. Mulgrew collapsed when nearly at the summit of Makalu, and was brought back down to base severely frostbitten and literally more dead than alive, by his comrades, who braved appalling dangers in the race to save his life.
At the little hospital at Kathmandu, a drug given to alleviate his pain set up an addiction. On return to Auckland, both feet and several fingers had to be amputated. The shock deepened the addiction; but Peter Mulgrew and his wife faced, fought, and conquered it together. Peter Mulgrew writes clearly, vividly and with great good humour. His disablement has left unscathed his with and his high spirits.
