In the fall of 2014, a five-person team from National Geographic, led by mountaineer Hilaree Nelson, set out on an ambitious trek to summit an obscure Burmese peak, Hkakabo Razi, and determine once and for all if it is Southeast Asia’s highest point. The harrowing expedition pushed the group to the brink mentally and physically, carving them down to nothing. The team encountered one pitfall after another: interminable overland train rides, sketchy motorcycle trips in the rain, hellish jungle slogs, dwindling food supplies, logistical failures, howling winds, false summits, hypothermia and—perhaps the most threatening of all—personality clashes that threatened to unravel the expedition. Nelson recounts their story and talks about the motives that drive people to tackle the insurmountable—and what they’ll endure for the sake of a dream.