The harder you climb, the higher you live.

Buntaro Mori is a loner, but being alone in a crowd is almost as bad as being forced to fit in. When a dangerous bid for solitude introduces Mori to the rush of solo climbing, he becomes addicted to the brilliant sense of freedom he finds as he pits his body and soul against the heights. But how high does he have to climb to leave humanity behind?

Despite the tragedy and notoriety that marked Mori’s introduction to climbing, he’s still obsessed with the allure of the mountains. Determination alone can’t fund an expedition, though, so when a rich adventurer offers him a spot on his climbing team, Mori accepts. But Mori’s joy at being in the mountains again is tempered by his knowledge that humans are always more treacherous than the peaks.