Only two for Everest : how a first ascent by Riddiford and Cotter shaped climbing history / Lyn McKinnon.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Foreword / Philip Temple -- Preface -- Part one: Leading the way: the first New Zealand Himalaya Expedition: May-August 1951 (1. Magnificent obsession: a dream team for the Himalayas ; 2. Master planner: Riddiford moves mountains ; 3. Awesome Elie: a feat unequalled for 30 years ; 4. En route to Nilkanta: Indian reality and a steep learning curve ; 5. "We long way come": The conquest of Mukut Parbat ; 6. Monsoon woes: 'We have not one rupee among us' ; 7. Into the crucible: an agonising impasse)

Part two: Man of purpose: Harold Earle Riddiford: 1921-1989 (8. Pioneer spirit: 'Determination was the secret of his success' ; 9. The 1951 Everest reconnaissance: negotiating the Khumbu death trap ; 10. Cho Oyu: Shipton's folly ; 11. Fallout: ripple effects from a frightfully British bungle ; 12. New directions: the joyous adventure into marriage and fatherhood ; 13. Orongorongo Station: living another dream)

Part three: Spur of the moment: Edmund McCarthy Cotter: 1927- (14. Born for adventure: at home in the hills ; 15. Reaching for the sky: to the high Himalaya ; 16. Southward bound: time out in the magnificent Hollyford Valley ; 17. The 1964 New Zealand Andean Expedition: Alpamayo by accident ; 18. Trailblazing the Hollyford: heroic failure ; 19. Vailima and beyond: from the mountains to the sea ; 20. Everest at last: the son lives the life the father imagined ; 20. Conclusion: Putting the record straight)

Appendix 1: Return to Mukut Parbar / Evangeline Riddiford Graham -- Appendix 2: What happened to the dream team? -- Appendix 3: British and New Zealand expeditions to the Himalaya 1950-55 -- Appendix 4: Pasang the indestructible.

"The First New Zealand Himalayan Expedition, in 1951, was initiated by Earle Riddiford, who with Ed Cotter and Pasang Dawa Lama made the first ascent of Mukut Parbat, their target peak in the Garhwal Himalaya. Accompanying them on that expedition, though not to that summit, were two other New Zealand climbers, Edmund Hillary and George Lowe. Hearing of the success on Mukut Parbat, the New Zealand Alpine Club suggested to the Alpine Club in London that acclimatised New Zealanders would be a valuable asset on the forthcoming 1951 British Reconnaissance of Mt Everest, to be led by Eric Shipton. This resulted in an invitation for two New Zealanders to join the party: thrilling news the four climbers received while they were ensconced in the hill-country village of Ranikhet. A day and a half of bitter dispute rent the party asunder. Which two should go to Everest? In this enthralling narrative, journalist Lyn McKinnon tells the stories of Earle Riddiford and Ed Cotter, two extraordinary New Zealanders whose climbing achievements were forever eclipsed by the exploits of others. She draws on private papers as well as published work, and extensively interviews Cotter himself, and the families of both men, as well as many other contemporary climbers, to set the record straight."--Cover.