Alan Hinkes’ first attempt to conquer the world’s highest mountain ended in humiliating failure when he had to be rescued for a very embarrassing reason. Hinkes was about to begin his ascent of the 26,660-foot Nanga Parbat — known as “the killer mountain” — when some flour sprinkled on a chapati (flatbread) got up his nose and he sneezed so violently that he ruptured a disc. After a painful 10-day wait for a helicopter, during which he lived off diminishing food stocks and painkillers, he was airlifted to Islamabad. It was months before he was fully recovered. He laughs at the incident now, but at the time it was an embarrassing defeat. Hinkes admits that his least favorite question about the sport he loves is "Why mountaineering?" “Nobody ever asks why a javelin thrower throws his javelin, why a swimmer swims, or why a football player kicks a ball. At the end of the day, it’s a personal achievement. For me, mountaineering is freedom."
