CLUB PROCEEDINGS

THE HIMALAYAN CLUB

 

PRESIDENT:
H.E. SIR HARRY HAIG.

VICE-PRESIDENTS:
G. B. GOURLAY, ESQ.
LT.—GENERAL SIR ROGER WILSON.

HONORARY SECRETARY:
J. S. H. SHATTOCK, ESQ,.

HONORARY LOCAL SECRETARIES:
KASHMIR. F. LUDLOW, ESQ.
CHAMBA. LT.—GOLONEL H. S. STRONG.
GARHWAL. P. MASON, ESQ.
DARJEELING. T. B. JAMESON, ESQ.

HONORARY EDITOR:
LT.—GOLONEL KENNETH MASON.

Honorary Assistant Editor:
J. B. AUDEN, ESQ.

HONORARY TREASURER:
MAJOR H. L. WYNDHAM.

Committee:

W. ALLSUP, ESQ.	E. O. SHEBBEARE, ESQ.
MAJOR E. ST. J. BIRNIE.	K. L. H. WADLEY, ESQ.
DR. A. M. HERON.	LT.—GOL. J. L. R. WEIR.
BRIGADIER C. G. LEWIS.	M. W. YEATTS, ESQ.
A. H. LLOYD, ESQ.	DR. P. C. VISSER.

 

Additional Members of the Balloting Committee:

J. G. ACHESON, ESQ.	J. S. HANNAH, ESQ.
C. R. COOKE, ESQ.	LT.—GOL. SIR S. HISSAM-UD-DIN
L. R. FAWCUS, ESQ,.	MAJOR G. H. OSMASTON.
MAJOR J. R. FOY.	CAPTAIN R. A. K. SANGSTER
J. S. HANNAH, ESQ.	J. B. SHEARER, ESQ,.

 

Reprinted from the original edition published by Oxford University Press, Indian Branch, on behalf of the Himalayan Club by arrangement with the publishers.

 

 

The Tenth Annual General Meeting of the Himalayan Club was held in the Officer's Library, Army Head-quarters, New Delhi, on Friday, the 25th February 1938. Mr. A. H. Lloyd, Vice- President of the Club, was in the Chair.

The Minutes of the Ninth Annual General Meeting were confirmed, and the Report of the Honorary Secretary (Captain C. R. T. Wilmot) on the work of the Club for 1937 was accepted. This Report, which had been circulated to Members, is printed below.

The Honorary Treasurer presented the Accounts for the year and made a statement regarding them and their form in future. The Accounts were confirmed and his proposals approved. The Officers, Members of the Committee, and Additional Members of the Balloting Committee for 1938 were elected, and Messrs. A. F. Ferguson & Co. were re-appointed Auditors to the Club. The thanks of the Club were offered to Captain G. R. T. Wilmot, the retiring Honorary Secretary, and to Mr. A. H. Byrt, the retiring Honorary Treasurer.

A vote of thanks to the Chairman was also passed.

 

Report on the Work of the Club in the Year 1937

By the Honorary Secretary

Membership.—Thirty-five new members were elected during 1937. There were 3 deaths, 14 resignations, and 10 members struck off for non-payment of subscriptions. The increase in the number of resignations appears to be mainly due to the larger subscription now charged for members residing outside India.

The membership now stands at 436, an increase of 8 over last year.

Obituary.—We mourn the death of the following members of the Club.

Sir Everard Upton, a founder member of the Club.

Sir Geoffrey Corbett, another founder member of the Club and mainly responsible for its formation.

Herr Karl Wien, killed on Nanga Parbat.

Himalayan Mountainering in 1937.—Major Expedition. Nanga Parbat.—The tragedy of Nanga Parbat is too recent to call for any remarks on my part. Immediately on receipt of news of the calamity and that Herr Paul Bauer was flying to India with a relief party, Sir Roger Wilson (then at the India Office) approached

H.E. the Viceroy with a request that a R.A.F. aeroplane be placed at the disposal of the relief party to fly them from Lahore to Gilgit. H.E. the Viceroy agreed. At this end, Mr. Shattock, who was officiating Honorary Secretary, kept in touch with Herr Bauer and Major Hadow, our Kashmir representative, and was able to smooth the way for the relief party on its arrival. Lieut. D. M. Smart, a member of the Club, was liaison officer with the expedition.

Other Expeditions.—Mana Peak (23,862 feet).—Captain P. Oliver accompanied Mr. F. Smythe on a combined mountaineering and botanical expedition. In the course of their journey they climbed Mana peak, the summit of which was reached by Mr. Smythe on the 12th August. It was bad luck that Captain Oliver had to stop within a short distance of the top, as he had helped to cut hundreds of steps up to this point.

Chomolhari.—In June Mr. Spencer Chapman climbed Chomolhari. He was accompanied by Mr. Crawford, but the latter had to return before the summit was reached, owing to his leave expiring.

Shimshal and Shaksgam.—Mr. E. Shipton carried out an expedition to the Shimshal and the Shaksgam, the objects being scientific.

Gangotri and Badrinath.—Mr. J. A. K. Martyn, accompanied by Mr. J. T. M. Gibson, after marching from Gaumukh to Badrinath across the Gangotri-Alaknanda watershed, passed through Nanda Prayag to Ranikhet.

Bhutan.—Mr. G. Sheriff went on a botanical expedition to central Bhutan during the spring and summer of 1937. His objective was the Black Mountain massif (16,100 feet; known to the local inhabitants as Dung-Shing-Gang) and the valleys and mountains immediately to the north of it.

A large and valuable collection of flowers was made in this area, two of the most interesting being a lovely primula new to science, and a giant lobelia.

Zemu Valley.—During the months of October and November Mr. C. R. Cooke and Capt. and Mrs. John Hunt were climbing at the top of the Zemu valley near the base of Kangchenjunga. Mr. and Mrs. Hunt made two attempts on Sugarloaf and on each occasion reached 21,000 feet, only about 400 feet from the top. Mr. Cooke and Capt. Hunt climbed the snow summit of the Keilberg, and attempted the summit of Nepal peak. The south-west summit, 23,560 feet, was reached by Capt. Hunt. In addition, the party visited several high passes and made some first crossings. Mr. Cooke made an attempt to reach the North col (22,600 feet) on the ridge between Kangchenjunga and the Twins, but was driven back about 700 feet from the top by falling stones. He returned over the Simvu saddle and Passanram valley and down the Talung valley.

Kangchenjunga.—A German-Swiss expedition consisting of Herr Schmaderer, Herr Paider, and Herr Grob, who, while investigating the approaches to Kangchenjunga, attempted the Tent peak and the Twins, were driven off both by soft snow and avalanches, and then made a successful ascent of Siniolchu on the 26th September.

Expeditions in 1938.—British.—Mr. H. W. Tilman will lead a small but strong expedition to Mount Everest.

American.—Mr. C. H. Houston will lead an American expedition to the Karakoram.

Austrian—Professor R. Schwarzgruber will lead an Austrian expedition to Garhwal. Gapt. M. H. White has been selected to accompany this expedition as liaison officer.

German.—Herr Paul Bauer has applied for permission to lead another expedition to Nanga Parbat.

British.—Mr. G. Sheriff, Dr. G. Taylor, and Mr. F. Ludlow leave in February on a botanical expedition to the districts of Kongbo and Takpo in south-eastern Tibet. They expect to be away for ten months.

Eastern Section.—The work of the Eastern Section in 1937 has been largely that of consolidating the various new arrangements made at the end of the previous year.

The storing of the equipment at the Geological Survey Office has worked excellently. The Equipment Officer, Mr. E. G. Marklew, has done a great deal of work, and the purchasing and issuing of equipment are now on a firm basis. The next thing to do is to increase the stock and renew much that is worn out. By charging for hire of equipment this is made possible. Both the Honorary Secretary and the Equipment Officer have found the part-time services of a clerk of inestimable value.

The demand for Sherpa and Bhutia porters for climbing expeditions in other parts of the Himalaya has continued, and the Darjeeling Secretary has sent many men across to Kashmir, Garhwal, &c., of whom, on the whole, very good reports have been received. The system of keeping a register and giving each man a chit-book and a number has proved most useful.

Several members have made use of the hut at Mome Samdong. The proposed hut in the Jha-Chu valley could not be built this year as the State Engineer of Sikkim, a member of the Club, was on leave, but it is hoped that the new hut will be completed in 1938.

Signor Mariani was using skis effectively in the neighbourhood of Mome Samdong, a fact which seems to encourage the hope of establishing a ski-ing centre in Sikkim in the future.

Treks in Sikkim, often including some mild climbing or exploration, become yearly more popular, and members planning these often appeal to the Club for advice and help in engaging porters and for the hire of equipment.

The Eastern Section Library, also housed in the offices of the Geological Survey, is now firmly established and becoming known to members. Dr. Heron, Director of the Geological Survey, is kindly presenting the Geographical Journal to the Eastern Section Library and has given permission to members of the Himalayan Club who wish to see back numbers of the Geographical Journal to borrow them from the Geological Survey Office Library for short periods.

There have not been as many dinners and lectures as usual this year. Mr. F. Spencer Chapman dined with the Eastern Section on the 17th March 1937 after several months spent in Tibet. He was not able to show Tibetan films, as no permission had been received, but he showed an interesting film of the Watkins expedition to Greenland, in which he took part.

Captain Kingdon Ward gave a fascinating talk on 'Himalayan Flowers', profusely illustrated with slides, on the 25th February 1937 and Mr. Percy Brown gave a lecture on 'Nepal', showing beautiful pictures, scenery and buildings, on the 5th March 1937.

There are now 119 members on the Eastern Section list, of whom about 80 are resident in Calcutta.

Library.—During the year under review 76 books were issued to members as compared with 126 books in 1936.

We added 52 books during the year, out of which 7 were purchased from the Library funds and 45 were received as presentation copies. The Supplement to the library catalogue showing the additions to the Library during 1937 is forwarded herewith.

Journal.—Lieut.—Colonel Mason has again supplied the Club with a journal which maintains the previous high standard.

He reports, however, that he is having difficulty in getting material for the 1938 edition of the Journal. Members are earnestly requested to forward articles to the Honorary Editor, School of Geography, Oxford University, without delay. I am informed that owing to the shortage and late receipt of material, the publication of the Journal will be delayed this year.¹

Himalayan Route Books.—Owing to insufficient material it has been decided not to print the route books yet. Any member desiring information regarding routes should write to Captain S. A. Lowman, No. 23 A.T. Company (M), Landi Kotal, Khyber Pass, who has taken over the duties of Co-ordinating Editor from Major E. St. J. Birnie. Captain Lowman suggests that members who propose to do a trek in the Himalaya during the course of the next twelve months, and have no particular object in view, beyond spending their leave in the hills, might undertake to visit one of the areas about which we lack information. If any member is prepared to do this, would he/she please get in touch with Captain Lowman?

 

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Miscellaneous.—In view of the changes in the Club rules, consequent on the introduction of the revised 'Indian Companies Act', the Committee decided to reprint and issue a copy to each member.

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