Kangchenjunga 2003
Alan Hinkes: Dispatch Index

Dispatch One: No mountain is worth a life; for me returning is a success and the summit is only a bonus. In fact I have been on 26 expeditions to the 8000m peaks and made 12 summits, leaving only two Dhaulagiri and Kangchenjunga, to climb. So far seven people have succeeded in summiting all 14, but no Briton. To climb all 14 8000ers is a quantifiable challenge, just as a four minute mile is a quantifiable record and the number of people achieving that can be counted. Challenge 8000 is now a personal quest, but I never really set out to climb all 14 until I had summited eight and had only six to go. Check here for the full dispatch.

Dispatch Two: ILLNESS SET BACK FOR ALAN HINKES SUMMIT HOPES. During his trek in to Kangchenjunga base camp high altitude mountaineer Alan Hinkes has had to be flown back to Kathmandu after contracting a serious bronchial infection. Check here for the full dispatch.