Get "The Lifeline" published.

I am New Zealand's leading female mountaineer and the author of a book of non-fiction, Wind From a Distant Summit. which is an account of my mountaineering career. I have just finished my first work of fiction and have a publisher ready to go it if I can contribute to the cost.

The novel is about several international climbing teams attempting Mt Everest in 2020. It details the drama that evenutates on the worlds highest mountain, with crowding and death a feature. In juxtaposition one of the characters, Lucas, cuts free and heads off to climb a remote mountain by himself in true "alpine" style, ie without porters or ropes to follow.

The novel is the first work of fiction to tackle the anomolies between commercially guided ascents of Everest versus ascents of remote mountains in true "alpine style" where a skilled climber ascends without the use of high altitude porters and ropes that run from the bottom to the top of the mountain.

The novel also includes the story of the Nepalese high altitude porters, who work on the mountain at minimun wage, to help the westerners obtain the summit.

In the novel I am making a statement that commercial guided ascents of Everest cater to the wealthy (fees are astronomical reaching US$100,00) versus those who climb lesser known, more difficult peaks, or mountains that have never had an ascent, This is true alpinism, not the commercially guided trips that cater to climbers with little skill but big egos.