The 1500 mile trek provided as many challenges as the conqueror of Everest and his crew had imagined, from powering jet boats up treacherous rapids to the ultimate test of climbing Akash Parbat, above which, according to Hindu tradition, the lord Shiva received the celestial stream of Ganga into the matted locks of his hair. Hillary's narrative, supplemented with excerpts from his crew's journals and many photographs, captures the excitement and danger of the expedition. The story of Hillary's exhilarating journey and this rare view into the heart and soul of India will prove as irresistible as the mysterious lure of Mother Ganga itself.