NZ, 1982, 1st edition. 160 pp, 16 ills. Ayres was a NZ mountain guide who had initially been selected for the '53 Everest team by Shipton, but was rejected by Hunt. Ed Hillary says Ayres would have been the strongest climber on the team.
Harry Ayres is regarded as the greatest guide and ice climber in New Zealand during the 1940's and 1950's. He taught Ed Hillary to climb and together they made a number of notable first ascents. He was selected for the 1953 British Everest expedition by Eric Shipton but lost his place on the team when leadership changed to John Hunt. Later he joined Hillary on the Trans-Antarctic expedition. This is a nice look at the early days of guiding in New Zealand’s Alps and the personalities involved. DJ, VG-Fine.
