Peter Hillary, the explorer son of Sir Edmund Hillary - who conquered Everest in 1953 - is trying to ban a book about his failed expedition to the South Pole and back because it could ruin his mountaineering reputation.

Hillary, a New Zealander, who took part in an ill-fated trip to the South Pole last year with fellow explorers Australians Eric Philips and Jon Muir, is trying to prevent publication of the book which gives a detailed account of the gruelling 84-day journey. He claims the account, written by Philips, makes him look bungling and inept.

The publicity material for the book, Ice Trek, a journey to the South Pole, describes how the trio set out to complete the 3,000-kilometre journey from Ross Island to the South Pole and back, further than anyone had traversed Antarctica.

"This is Eric Philips's account of a very public journey and a very public falling out on the ice," say publishers HarperCollins.

"The journey across Antarctica was conducted in a blaze of publicity which included regular phone calls live to a television show and an internet site through which the public could follow the team's progress.

"The venture was hampered by appalling weather, which kept the men tent-bound for longer than they had anticipated. Soon illness stalked the team. Despite this they reached the pole but never completed the return journey. On their return, the tensions between the team members erupted in a very public falling out, mainly between Eric and Peter."

The expedition, called Ice Trek, was sponsored by the now bankrupt satellite phone company Iridium. It ended when the trio reached the South Pole in January 26 last year.

Already delayed by illness and bad weather, they were airlifted back to McMurdo Sound instead of walking as planned.

Disagreements between the camp were made public on their return when Philips criticised Hillary and Muir, saying they lacked the necessary skills to fly special kites that were to have towed their sleds for much of the journey.

Hillary said he had read an advance copy of Philips's book and described it as a "jaundiced and self-centred" personal account devoted to "revealing Hillary".

"We didn't get on. It was a lonely expedition," Hillary said, adding: "It [the book] is an assault on me. It is certainly a slap in the face, there's no doubt about it."

Hillary added that he wanted an official account of the trip to be published, not a "weirdly obsessive book" such as that written by Philips. He claims it breaches a contract between the trio not to publish anything within three years of the expedition ending.

"Personal accounts of the expedition were not to be published until three years after the end of the expedition. Obviously Eric has gone ahead and done this and I don't think he is standing by his word."

Hillary said he was writing his own book but would wait until the agreed three-year term was up before publishing it.

But author Philips and fellow explorer Muir say they have no idea why Hillary is claiming the book breaks a legal agreement signed by the three adventurers.

Backing Philips, Muir added that it was clear to him and should be to Hillary that the book did not break the contract at all. Speaking from Australia, he added that the contract made it quite clear a book would be written.

He had even provided journal extracts to Philips to help him write the book but was not due to share in any of the author's profits.

Asked if the book was an unflattering account of Hillary, Muir said it showed the strengths and weaknesses of the team.

Philips said that while Hillary might not like the way he was portrayed in parts of the book, at issue was that Philips had described it as an official record of the expedition.

A HarperCollins spokeswoman said she could not say what the legal wrangle over Philips's book involved, but added: "We are confident it will be resolved."