His cheeks are as tender as raw meat on a butcher’s block. And those are just the cheeks of his face. As he slumps in the saddle, watching the road disappear into the distance, he aches in parts of his body that he’s only just discovering he has… When Mark travels to Ecuador to go hiking and climbing, he discovers a land of dramatic volcanoes rising through the clouds and wide-open horizons rich in history. But when his partner Edita suggests a return visit, she has a very different adventure in mind: to cycle across the Andes and complete a unique sea-to-summit challenge by climbing the highest mountain starting from sea level. It will be an intrepid world first (or so they think). But there’s just one problem – Mark can barely cycle over a road bridge without getting off to push. With a month to train, they rent some bikes and head to Scotland to cycle the North Coast 500. Will this be enough to prepare them for an epic adventure to climb a mountain that in one respect is the highest in the world? Praise for Mark Horrell’s other books: “A very honest and human account of a man who didn’t set out to do something, but ended up doing it anyway.” - Amazon.co.uk review, Seven Steps from Snowdon to Everest “Imagine Bill Bryson taking up mountaineering and it will give you a small taste of what to expect here … it made me laugh out loud on numerous occasions. A great read.” - Amazon.co.uk review, Seven Steps from Snowdon to Everest “Satisfying reading for anybody interested in mountaineering. Funny (with a very British kind of humour) and serious and deep at the same time.” - Amazon.com review, Seven Steps from Snowdon to Everest “This account, of his attempt to climb Everest from the North side, has elevated him and his writing to a whole new level ... Every gasp of thin air, every ankle-wrenching pain, is included in Horrell's narrative.” - Amazon.co.uk review, The Chomolungma Diaries “Mark is a very engaging writer: honest, humorous, with wonderful descriptions of the environment and captivating tales of the trails.” - Amazon.com review, The Chomolungma Diaries “A compelling read with no smoke and mirrors, just a whole lot of truth, hard work, and humility. Great book!” - Amazon.com review, The Chomolungma Diaries “Breathtaking, fascinating, insightful and honest. He has a fantastic attitude towards his climbing, the most important point being, it’s not getting to the top, it’s living to try it again, and enjoying the amazing privilege of being able to do it in the first place.” - Amazon.co.uk review, Thieves, Liars and Mountaineers “Horrell is a very descriptive, self-deprecating, witty writer ... The prose is breezy and light and the story moves along briskly. Highly recommended.” - Amazon.com review, Thieves, Liars and Mountaineers For nearly ten years Mark Horrell has written what has been described as one of the most credible Everest opinion blogs out there. He writes about trekking and mountaineering from the often silent perspective of the commercial client. For more than fifteen years he has been exploring the world's greater mountain ranges and keeping a diary of his travels. As a writer he strives to do for mountain history what Bill Bryson did for long-distance hiking. Several of his expedition diaries are available as quick reads from the major online bookstores. His first full-length book, Seven Steps from Snowdon to Everest, about his ten-year journey from hill walker to Everest climber, was published in November 2015. His favourite mountaineering book is The Ascent of Rum Doodle by W.E. Bowman.