INTREPID mountaineer Alan Hinkes is about to scale the heights once more as he continues his epic attempt to conquer the world's 14 highest peaks.

At the end of this month, he will fly to the Himalayas to launch his assault on the 8,586m-high Kangchenjunga and he hopes to reach the summit during May.

Mr Hinkes, from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, is Britain's most successful high altitude climber. Challenge 8000 is his personal quest to beat all 14 of the 8,000m-plus mountains and Everest and K2 are among those he has climbed.

Last year, he climbed Annapurna in a record five days by a new route - which was also the first British ascent of the mountain for more than 30 years.

Kangchenjunga and Dhaulagiri are the only two peaks he has left to conquer and both are in the "death zone" - an unforgiving environment where the body rapidly deteriorates and no one can survive for more than a few days.

Mr Hinkes had to abandon an attempt on Kangchenjunga - the world's third highest peak - in May 2000 due to bad weather. Then, while on his descent a snow bridge collapsed across a crevasse and he fell into it, breaking his arm.

Alan said yesterday: "The terrain is very difficult and even the 14-day trek into base camp will be harder than most. As I have always said I climb to live, not to die - the summit is always optional but returning is mandatory."