EDITORIAL

It is regretted that so many months have passed since the publication of volume xvi. The chief reasons for the delay have been tardy receipt of copy and pressure of work on our excellent publishers. We are indeed grateful to all our contributors, many of whom are finding it increasingly difficult to follow up the high objectives of the Himalayan Club as set out on the title-page of this and of every issue. And we warmly thank all our kindred clubs, both in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, for their continued co-operation. The Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research, the Club Alpin Francais, the Groupe de Haute Montagne, the New Zealand Alpine Club, our own Alpine Club, the Royal Geographical Society, and the Climbers^’ Club have been unfailing with help and courtesy. As anticipated last year, costs of production have risen. Paper has become more expensive as old stocks get exhausted, and reproduction of illustrations and maps costs more. We have been able to make economies by sharing blocks with reciprocating journals and this issue is rather larger. It is satisfactory to note in this connexion that the demand for the Himalayan Journal is increasing and this year it is proposed to print 1,000 copies.

Owing to copyright the Everest story cannot be up to date in this number; but in order to preserve continuity we have begun the record of the new approach with articles by Charles Houston on his visit in 1950 and by W. H. Murray on the 1951 reconnaissance. We hope to tell in volume xviii of this year's splendid attack by the Swiss and of our own party's doings on Cho Oyu. We have been promised by Gurdial Singh and General Williams an account of the spirited attempt this last summer to scale Kamet. (The loss from blood-poisoning, after successfully bringing him down, of one of the party was cruel luck.) The period under review is especially noteworthy for the interest and active participation of Indians in Himalayan mountaineering. In addition to liaison work some have done very creditable climbing, notably Gurdial Singh, first Indian member to scale a major Himalayan peak, and Major Nalini Jayal. In this members of the Doon School, inspired by Holdsworth and Gibson, and of the Indian Corps of Engineers at Roorkee have been to the before.