CLUB PROCEEDINGS

 

THE
HIMALAYAN JOURNAL
RECORDS OF THE HIMALAYAN CLUB

 

EDITED BY
KENNETH MASON

 

' To encourage and assist Himalayan travel and exploration, and to extend knowledge of the Himalaya and adjoin¬ing mountain ranges through science, art, literature, and sport.'

 

VOLUME XI
1939

OXFORD
AT THE CLARENDON PRESS
LONDON : HUMPHREY MILFORD

 

THE HIMALAYAN CLUB

 

President:
LT.—GENERAL SIR ROGER WILSON.

Vice-Presidents:
H.H. THE MAHARAJAH OF SIKKIM.
MRS. H. P. V. TOWNEND.

Honorary Secretary:
MAJOR E. ST. J. BIRNIE.

Honorary Local Secretaries:
KASHMIR. F. A. BETTERTON, ESQ,.
CHAMBA. LT.—COLONEL H. S. STRONG.
GARHWAL. P. MASON, ESQ.
KUMAUN. CAPTAIN R. LAWDER.
DARJEELING. T. B. JAMESON, ESQ.
EASTERN SECTION. MRS. H. P. V. TOWNEND.

HONORARY EDITOR:
LT.—GOLONEL KENNETH MASON.

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

Honorary Treasurer:
J. D. MICHAEL, ESQ.

Committee:

W. ALLSUP, ESQ,. MAJOR J. R. FOY. G. B. GOURLAY, ESQ. LT.—COL. E. A. L. GUETERBOCK. BRIGADIER C. G. LEWIS.

SIR ALAN LLOYD. CAPTAIN P. R. OLIVER. E. B. WAKEFIELD, ESQ,. LT.—COL. J. L. R. WEIR. M. W. YEATTS, ESQ.

 

Additional Members of the Balloting Committee:

J. G. ACHESON, ESQ,. C. R. COOKE, ESQ. L. R. FAWCUS, ESQ. J. S. HANNAH, ESQ. LT.—COL. SIR S. HISSAM-UD-DIN.

MAJOR G. H. OSMASTON. CAPTAIN R. A. K. SANGSTER. J. B. SHEARER, ESQ,. K. L. H. WADLEY, ESQ. MAJOR H. L. WYNDHAM.

 

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

 

The Eleventh Annual General Meeting of the Himalayan Club was held in the Officers' Library, Army Headquarters, Imperial Secretariat, New Delhi, on Tuesday, the 28th February 1939. Lieut.—General Sir Roger Wilson, Vice-President of the Club, was in the chair.

The Minutes of the Tenth Annual General Meeting were confirmed and the Report of the Honorary Secretary (J. S. H. Shattock, Esq., i.c.s.) on the work of the Club for 1938 was accepted. This Report, which had been circulated to Members, is printed below.

The Honorary Treasurer designate, Mr. J. D. Michael, stated that the Club Accounts had not yet been audited, and asked for an adjournment for this purpose. The Officers, Members of the Committee, and Additional Members of the Balloting Committee for 1939 were elected, and Messrs. A. F. Ferguson & Co. were reappointed Auditors of the Club. The meeting was then adjourned till Tuesday, the 9th May 1939, when it was agreed to reassemble in Simla in order to pass the accounts.

 

Report on the Work of the Club in the Year 1938

By the Honorary Secretary

Membership.—Thirty-four new members were elected during 1938. There were 2 deaths and 3 resignations. The Membership of the Club now stands at 475, an increase of 29 over the figure at the beginning of the year.

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

Sir Filippo De Filippi, k.c.i.e., a founder member of the Club.

Major R. S. Haslett, who was one of the first Ordinary Members of the Club, being elected in September 1928.

Himalayan Mountaineering in 1938.—Mount Everest.—Once again the weather beat the climbers. Nevertheless, valuable experience was gained which will undoubtedly be of assistance for the future.

Nanga Parbat.—Here again the weather prevented Herr Paul Bauer and his colleagues from achieving their aim. A Lufthansa plane accompanied the expedition, making Srinagar as its headquarters, and flew over them on their way up the mountain and dropped supplies. The Air Force authorities in India once again gave invaluable help, in particular by allowing one of their officers to act as liaison officer to the expedition on the ground and another to assist them in the air. On his return Herr Bauer came to Simla and, by the gracious invitation of His Excellency Lord Brabourne and the Lady Brabourne, showed members and friends of the Himalayan Club, in Viceregal Lodge, the magnificent sound film of the 1937 expedition. He also gave an interesting account of what the 1938 expedition had done. Those members of the Club who were fortunate enough to be present are deeply grateful to him.

The Karakoram.—The 1938 American Expedition, besides gaining its main objective, i.e. the reconnaissance of K² in preparation for a future expedition, also climbed to a height of 26,000 feet by the 'Abruzzi ridge'. Captain N. R. Streatfeild accompanied the expedition as its liaison officer.

Masherbrum.—Our sympathy goes out to the expedition led by Lieutenant J. Waller which suffered a misfortune resulting in injuries to two of its members and to one Darjeeling porter. These two members managed, however, to establish Camp 7 on the mountain and reached a height of about 25,000 feet when the weather forced them to turn back.

Garhwal.—A German expedition under the leadership of Professor Rudolf Schwarzgruber of Vienna and 6 others did a lot of successful climbing in the Gangotri area. They climbed amongst other peaks Bhagirathi North (21,364 feet), Chandar Parbat (22,073 feet), and Sri Kailash (22,742 feet). Lieutenant S. H. J. Whitehead, Royal Garhwal Rifles, accompanied the expedition as its liaison officer.

Sino-Burmese Border.—Captain F. Kingdon Ward is still exploring in this area and we hope that in the 1939 Journal we shall learn in detail of what he has been doing.

Expeditions in 1939.—So far as is definitely known at present permission has been granted for an American expedition to the Karakoram in 1939 and a New Zealand reconnaissance party is likely to visit Kangchenjunga during the year.

Eastern Section.—On Wednesday, the 5th January 1938, the Eastern Section opened its second Photographic Exhibition. It was held, by the kind consent of the Director, in the meeting-room of the Geological Survey of India. It was arranged early in the year so that it would be possible to invite the members of the British Association and the foreign delegates who were present in Calcutta during the first week in January for the Silver Jubilee Meeting of the Indian Science Congress. Of the hundred and ten delegates invited, a very large proportion attended the Exhibition either after dinner on the 5th or between tea and dinner on the 6th January. A large number of members of the Himalayan Club and their friends also visited the Exhibition on one of those two days or during the ensuing week, when it was open during office hours.

The collection of photographs was certainly superior in quality and covered a larger area of the Himalaya than those exhibited in 1936. Special thanks are due to Herr Paul Bauer for sending by air mail magnificent photographs of Siniolchu, Simvu, and of Nanga Parbat; also to the Mount Everest Committee and members of the 1936 Expedition who sent photographs from England.

Some of the finest pictures in the Exhibition were of various peaks in Sikkim taken by Mr. G. A. Hamilton. There was also a fine set of photographs by Mr. J. Jobst Gosling and Mr. H. C. Pohle of the route up to Phari and of Chomolhari. Mr. Percy Brown exhibited a splendid series of photographs of the trade-route to Gyantse in Tibet and of the Palkhor Choide Monastery in Gyantse. There were many other photographs too numerous to mention and members were very kind in preparing the prints and lending them for exhibition.

There were two dinners and lectures during the year. On Saturday, the 12th February, Messrs. Tilman and Shipton, on their way to Mount Everest, dined with the Eastern Section and Mr. Tilman gave an extremely interesting lecture, illustrated by slides, on Nanda Devi, both the reconnaissance and the climb.

A fortnight later, on Sunday, the 27th February, Captain John Hunt dined with the Club and gave a most vivid account of the two months' climbing done by his wife and himself and Mr. R. C. Cooke in the late autumn of 1937 at the top of the Zemu valley near the foot of Kangchenjunga.

From Darjeeling good reports come in of the porters and the demand for them remains as great as ever.

The demand for equipment is possibly increasing, and the scheme of making a hire charge so that the Club can afford to purchase new tents, &c., has proved satisfactory. Thanks are due to our Equipment Officer for the work he has done.

Members are making greater use of the Library and several gifts of books have been received, as well as the normal number of books purchased.

We received two copies of the Geographical Journal from Dr. A. M. Heron and Mr. C. R. Cooke and also the National Geographic Magazine.

The second hut in the Jha Chu valley in North Sikkim was completed in September and a few members have already stayed in it and brought back excellent reports of it. The Club's thanks are due to Rai Sahib Faqir Chand Jali for arranging for its construction. It is now possible to travel up the Lachen valley, cross the Sebo La, and return down the Lachung valley or vice versa, without taking tents, as the Himalayan Club Huts in the Jha Chu valley and at Mome Samdong link up the two bungalow routes. It is now hoped that some energetic members will go up to the Jha Chu valley in winter to find out whether it would be a good ski-ing ground.

The Eastern Section Route Book has not progressed very much this year, as Captain R. A. Gardiner has been out on survey work all the time and unable to carry the necessary maps and papers with him; he therefore wishes to hand on the work to some one else, and Captain John Hunt has kindly undertaken to carry on with it.

Library.—During the year under review 80 books were issued to members as compared with 76 books in 1937. We added 16 books during the year, out of which 6 were purchased from the Library funds and 10 were received as presentation copies. The supplement to the Library catalogue showing the additions to the Library during 1938 is forwarded herewith.

Journal.—I feel certain all members of the Club wish to express to Lieut.—Colonel Mason their deep appreciation of the 1938 Journal which was outstanding in every respect. If possible it may be said to have set up a new high standard. He is still experiencing difficulty, however, in getting contributions and in getting them in time. Contributions, it must be emphasized, should reach the Honorary Editor, School of Geography, Mansfield Road, Oxford, by December each year at the latest.

If those members who are in a position to do so would endeavour to persuade firms to advertise in the Journal, their efforts would be greatly appreciated. Cards showing charges may be obtained on application to the Secretary.

Members are also requested to mention the Himalayan Journal when dealing with advertisers. Firms are liable to discontinue their advertisements unless they have concrete evidence that they are obtaining value from them.

Maps.—The Survey of India have in hand the publication of the following maps of Garhwal. An estimate (very approximate) of their date of publication is given against each:

53 J/^NE......................................... Spring 1939

53 N/nw ..... ................................Autumn

1939 53 N/ne .............................. Autumn

1939 53 N/se............................... Spring 1940

Pending the issue of the regular sheets, prints of the new surveys in one colour may be obtained from the Officer in Charge, No. 1 Party, Survey of India, Mussoorie. Those requiring prints should state the area they intend to visit so that details regarding names, heights, &c., can be entered by hand.

Club Dinner.—This year's London dinner, held at the Café Royal, was an unqualified success. Brigadier-General the Hon. G. G. Bruce, c.b., m.v.o., presided again, and among those present were Sir Harry Haig, Brigadier-General Sir George Cockerill, and Mrs. Townend.

The next dinner will be held about the 1st July 1939.¹ Will members likely to be in England on that date please get in touch with the Organizer:

Lieut.—Golonel H. W. Tobin, d.s.o., o.b.e.,

Welford Farm House,
Newbury,
Berks.

We are grateful to Lieut.—Colonel Tobin for all he did in 1938 to make the dinner the success it was.

Equipment.—It would be greatly appreciated if members who hire the Club equipment would, when returning it, book it right through to the Geological Survey Office, 27 Chowringhee, Calcutta. When equipment is booked to Howrah, the Club is put to needless inconvenience and expense in collecting it.

Climbing on Home Leave.—Mr. W. Allsup has written a paper making suggestions which may be useful to those working in India and who may not be in a place where information is readily accessible or who may, possibly after journeying in the Himalaya, be contemplating gaining experience in the hills and mountains in the United Kingdom or in the Alps. We are most grateful for the time and trouble taken by Mr. Allsup in compiling this, copies of which can be obtained on application to the Secretary.

Liaison Officers.—The Club is at present very short of members who have expressed their willingness to act as liaison officers to expeditions. On two occasions this year we were very hard put to it to afford visiting expeditions this assistance. Will any member who would like to be considered for appointment in this capacity kindly inform the Secretary. We shall be most grateful for any such offers.

The Late William Hunter Workman-1847-1937. With the death of Dr. Workman on the 7th October 1937 in his 91st year, there passed the surviving partner of that unique American couple who pioneered in the Himalaya at an age when most people have finished strenuous climbing. Their great years were 1899 to 1912 when he was between fifty-two and sixty-five and Mrs. Workman from forty to fifty-three. During this period they made six major expeditions in the Himalaya. At fifty-six he made a then world's record altitude climb of 23,394 feet and in 1906 she made a world's altitude record for women of nearly 23,000 feet at the age of forty-seven. They were perfect partners on these expeditions, he leading one year and she doing the scientific work, she leading the next and he keeping the scientific records and diaries; while each expedition resulted in a profusely illustrated volume which now serve as indispensable chapters in the history of Himalayan exploration

 

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