The Mother's Necklace

Ama Dablam, a 6850m mountain in the shadow of Everest was once described as "unclimbable" by Sir Edmund Hillary. Now the peak, known as the world's most beautiful mountain, is seen as an essential step towards climbing Everest and a formidable peak in its own right.

Former journalist and mountaineer Matthew Horan joined dozens of climbers heading for the top in November 2016, a year marred by multiple high rescues and an avalanche which took the life of one of his team. The most inexperienced member of his team, he cheerfully describes the self-doubt every mountaineer faces, especially when surrounded by much better ones. It's an insight into what the amateur climber finds on a commercial expedition - the boredom, the exhilaration and the terror.

Part travel diary, part climbing memoir and part insight into what drives people to place themselves in danger for the thrill of standing on a windswept snowy peak for 15 minutes.