BOOK REVIEWS

1. THE HIMALAYA, ASPECTS OF CHANGE.
2. HIGH MOUNTAINS AND COLD SEAS — A BIOGRAPHY OF H. W. TILMAN.
3. STONES OF SILENCE: JOURNEYS IN THE HIMALAYA.
4. HIGH MOUNTAIN PEAKS IN CHINA.
5. THE LAST STEP, THE AMERICAN ASCENT OF K2.
6. SASER KANGRI — Yellow Goddess of the Karakoram — The First Ascent
7. HIMALAYAN HANDBOOK.
8. MOUNTAINEERING AND ITS LITERATURE.
9. 1976 SPELEOLOGICAL EXPEDITION TO THE HIMALAYA.
10. HIMALAYA ET KARAKORAM.
11. CALCULATED RISK.
12. ANNAPURNA — A WOMAN'S PLACE.
13. THE MOUNTAIN SPIRIT.
14. GOING HIGH, THE STORY OF MAN AND ALTITUDE.
15. VIGNETTES OF NEPAL.
    A GUIDE TO TREKKING IN NEPAL.

 

 

THE HIMALAYA, ASPECTS OF CHANGE. Edited by J. S. Lall in association with A. D. Moddie. Pp. 481, 19 illustrations, 3 maps, 1981. (The India International Centre, Rs 180).

In February, 1978, the Himalayan Club celebrated its Golden Jubilee and as President of the Club A. D. Moddie was naturally there but with an air of preoccupation. He in fact addressed us on the dangers of erosion in the mountains. In 1977 he had been invited by J. 3 Lall to be an associate editor of a book which was to deal with the threatening situation in the Himalaya. The project had its birth when some Himalayanists met together at the India International Centre in 1975 and the outline of the book was prepared. 'The Himalaya, Aspects of Change' was published early this year (1981) by the India International Centre with a jacket showing a painting of Kangchenjunga by Nicolas Roerich. In his introduction J. S. Lall referred to the alarm sounded by Hans Rieger: 'There is only one Himalaya to lose,' and asked whether the seemingly inevitable depletion of the Himalayan heritage can be averted. Overpopulation, deforestation and extension of cultivation lead to erosion. An added difficulty appeared when the Chinese took Tibet and closed the border to trade. The book deals with those who lost trade with Tibet although the original problem seemed formidable enough.

In planning the book the first ten chapters were grouped under the heading 'Nature' and dealt with surroundings. In 'The Climate of the Himalaya' Anna Mani says that the Antarctic continent is better known than the Himalaya, Salim Ali in 'The Himalaya in Indian Ornithology' refers to new ideas about bird migration and is concerned about the survival of the western Tragopan. K. C. Salmi writes on 'Botanical Panorama of the Eastern Himalaya' which is characterised by the richest flora in the world, illustrated by photographs. Measures must be done to preserve species before it is too late. M. A. Rau in 'Western Himalayan Flora' has suggested an Institute of Advanced Studies at Manali. M. K. Ranjitsinh in 'Himalaya Fauna' is sad that so many species are in danger of extinction; sale of furs must be banned. National Parks and sanctuaries can help. The rest of the chapters in this section are very academic; 'Geology of the Himalaya' by A. G. Jhingran ends up with a list of minerals many of which are exploited; 'Earthquakes in the Himalaya' by H. M. Chaudhary who quotes a Japanese proverb: 'An earthquake occurs when we forget about it'; 'Soils of the Garhwal and Kumaon Himalaya' by B. P. Ghildyal who asserts that public intervention is essential in soil-erosion areas; C. P. Vohra in 'Himalayan Glaciers' who claims that snow and ice are valuable resources and it is important that they are measured so that maximum use can be made of them. Y. K. Murthy in 'Water Resource Potentials of the Himalaya' examines the river systems of the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahma- putra and gives the annual run-off. Irrigation and power schemes have been developed at Bhakra Nangal and in the Ganga basin. In the future the Ganga basin will be short of water and storages must be planned and a link must be built between the Brahmaputra and the Ganga. At present there is no agency to keep a watch on the Himalayan ecosystem.

The next ten chapters are headed 'Man' and have been chosen to give an impression of Himalayan communities responding to change. 'Social Change in a Himalayan Region5 by Christoph von Furer- Haimendorff describes how the inhabitants of the valley of the Kali Gandaki found occupations when they lost the trade with Tibet. The same situation was faced in 'Structure and Change among the Borderland Communities of the Kumaon Himalaya' by J. S. Bhandari; the Jadhs and Bhotiyas tried to take to agriculture but met with various difficulties. In the third topic dealt with, 'Sikkim', there was also an end to trade with Tibet, but the increase in the production of oranges and cardamom filled the gap. J. S. Lall described the great changes especially when Sikkim became the 22nd state of the Indian Union. N. K. Rustomji also writes on 'Sikkim, Bhutan and India's North-Eastern Borderlands', Bhutan was left untouched until Jigmie Dorji tried to modernize and was murdered. Change nevertheless came, but very slowly both in Bhutan and in the tribal areas where Arunachal Pradesh became a Union Territory in 1972. D. D. Bhatt in 'Nepal Himalaya and Change' has written an exhaustive article in which he gives facts about erosion, deforestation, overpopulation, and considers hydro-electricity and alternative sources for energy. Helena Norberg-Hodge writes nostalgically about 'Ladakh: Development without Destruction' where frugal uses of resources have enabled the people to live by subsistence farming. She fears that tourism will overwhelm Ladakh. B. N. Goswamy takes a gloomy view in 'Lost Vision; Art in the Himalayan Region Today'. He concludes that 'not only is there a- general lack of sensitive direction, but there is also bad taste, and patronage without discrimination'. Corneille Jest and Joseph Allen Stein in 'Architecture in Bhutan and Ladakh' compare the Ladakhi village temple-monastery with the Bhutan Dzong presiding over scattered farms dispersed among fields. Of what materials will new buildings and repairs be made? In 'The Romance of Surveying in the Himalaya' K. L. Khosla tells the story of the work done since 1814 until today with aerial photography with fourteen photogrammetric units. H. C. Sarin and Gyan Singh in 'Mountaineering in the Himalaya' give the history of mountaineering including the conquest of Everest without oxygen in 1978. They warn against overcrowding; the traffic at S'olu Khumbu increased in the decade ending in 1974 from 300 a year to 3400. There is one entrance to the Nanda Devi Sanctuary, but now at least a dozen parties go in a year.

Some of these articles have been written with enthusiasm but on the whole few of them have been written with the feeling that the mountains are in deadly danger.

The 4 third section of the book has the heading 'Interrelationships', and in the introduction J. S. Lall said that it carried the central message. It is introduced by A. D. Moddie's article 'Himalayan Environment'. He says that since 1972 and the spread of environmental consciousness, an assurance has been dawning that the mountain ranges of the world are in jeopardy. He does not explain that in 1972 there was a conference on 'Man and His Environment' held in Stockholm. UNESCO-sponsored conferences have been held in the Alps, in the Andes and in Kathmandu in 1975, while in 1974 a conference of scientists met at Munich at which a 'Statement of Concern' was issued on 'Mountains and the Human Future'. The threat to the Himalaya is very grave; population has increased by 170% in districts below 3000 m while in the decade ending in 1971 Nepal has lost 50% of its forests. Big dams have had their life- expectancies reduced to half. Forest policies have been full of errors, and roads have a terrible effect. In 1947 Karponang, 15 km up the track from Gangtok to Nathu La, was dense with rhododendrons; ten years later not a tree was left standing. Similar conditions have threatened Europe, but land-use planning and the development of hydro-electricity and planned tourism have come to the rescue. In Japan on the other hand only 2% population are allowed to live in the mountains. Moddie is followed by Hans Christoph Rieger in 'Man versus Mountain' in which he examines the cases of erosion in the Ganga catchment area. He illustrates with diagrams. There are indications that in some areas of Nepal extraction from the forest is greater than natural regeneration. It is hard to see how a catastrophe can be averted. There is only one Himalaya to lose. What can be done? A series of pilot projects is suggested to make available experience in other countries. This idea is taken up by J. D. Ives in 'Applied Mountain Geoecology : Can the Scientist assist in the preservation of the Mountains?' The world-wide phenomenon of mountain-landscape deterioration has only been recognized within the last decade. Ives asked whether experience gained from the high Andes or from Obergurgl in Austria or from the Colorado Rocky Mountains can be used to apply to the Himalaya. This is discussed at length. It was also important to assess the impact of post-1950 man on the Himalayan ecosystem. A storm near Darjeeling at the end of the monsoon of 1968 took 20,000 lives. Who was to blame? The task is so large that we should despair, but shunning responsibility is intolerable. Small-scale projects should be taken in hand while concerted action is planned by government and other agencies. These three chapters seem to be the kernel of the book though the last two are not easy reading.

In a chapter called 'Population and Society in the Himalaya' B. K. Roy Burman gives the facts. 'The Dynamics of Changing Agriculture in a Micro-Watershed in the Kumaon Hills of Uttar Pradesh' by S. L. Shah is an account of an experiment carried out by Pantnagar University assisted by the Ford Foundation. Overpopulation and erosion are grave, but the fatalism of farmers gave way to optimism when changes were introduced. 'Shifting Cultivation and Economic Change in the North-Eastern Himalaya' by I. K. Barthakur is about jhuming. The cycle has been reduced from 25 years in 1947 to about 4-5 years which does not give the forest a chance. Some change must be attempted in the future. In the final chapter: 'The Himalaya; Crisis in the Evolution of Policies and Programmes', Norman Reynolds proposes Catchment Authorities, Community Budgets and Community Forestry as an integral package of administration. This is a bold call to revolutionize administration.

The book is somewhat uneven. Some of the articles are highly scientific and difficult to follow for the layman, other very readable. Most of them raise issues of vital importance while some are only marginally relevant. On the whole however it is a brave attempt, a task that needed doing and J. S. Lall and A. D. Moddie are to be congratulated on their endeavour to put before us the dangers that threaten the Himalaya. It is to be hoped that the book will not only be read but acted upon.

John Martyn

 

 

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HIGH MOUNTAINS AND COLD SEAS — A BIOGRAPHY OF H. W.
TILMAN. By J. R. L. Anderson. Pp. 366, 45 illustrations, 15 maps, 1980. (Gollancz, London £9.95).

One is grateful that Tilman was a prolific writer. His books and articles, which include many he wrote for the Himalayan Journal, bear the stamp of his individual style born of a wide literary knowledge and enriched by flashes of his own particular brand of humour. The record of his life as an explorer was to say the very least unique — about 20 years devoted to mountains and (when he felt that he was 'too old' for mountaineering) over 20 years sailing the oceans. He had hoped on his last voyage, from which he never returned, to spend his 80th birthday in the Antarctic. A legendary toughness, and a refusal to succumb to the soft options in life set him apart even from those who were fortunate enough to share his journeys. An underlying kindness and generosity seen by the few who really knew him was less well known than his absolute integrity and uncompromising self-discipline. He was a man constitutionally unwilling to reveal himself to others.

Tilman never seriously considered writing an autobiography, probably feeling that so much had already been said in his 15 books which spanned almost 50 years of his life. A biography somehow seemed even less to be contemplated, because he himself had already said so much and said it so well. Also because there could be few who would have had sufficient personal access to do the job adequately. Without ever being a recluse, Tilman never really fraternized. His relationship even with Eric Shipton, with whom he shared most of his Himalayan ventures, though deep was surprisingly formal.

Tilman's biographer faced a hard task. J. R. L. Anderson wad provided with unrestricted use of his papers and letters by the daughters of his sister Adeline, to whom he was closer than to any other person during his life, and to whom the largest part of his letters was addressed. I think that on the whole we ought to be grateful for this work, and we must be content to have it as it is: a fairly balanced appreciation of a life packed with action and adventure. At the very least it helps to provide a sketch of the early background, and to fill in the required gaps, thus completing an otherwise almost complete picture of the years of relentless activity described by Tilman's own pen. I certainly found new material of great interest, especially covering Tilman's war service as an army officer in both World Wars. It would have been wrong to expect from this biography much more. Philosophical musings into motives or reactions would have been out of place, even unwelcome. Those who continue to derive pleasure from Tilman's books are likely to obtain a close insight into his real qualities. In his writings he was able to shed much of his inner reserve, revealing a good deal of himself.

Tilman was one of the leading explorers of this century. His upright self-demanding nature and imperturbability stimulated similar virtues in others. It is a measure of his greatness that successive generations have equally accorded respect and honour to exploits by which he set new standards and provided the impetus for further achievement.

Trevor Braham

 

 

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STONES OF SILENCE: JOURNEYS IN THE HIMALAYA. By George B. Schaller. Pp. 298, illustrated, maps, 1980. (Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, Rs 100).

With the emphasis in most of the current-day ventures in the Himalaya continuously narrowing from mountaineering to climbing, the first impact of this book is to remind the reader that the mountains are not the exclusive preserve of bipeds wielding ice-axes and ropes, but that they support (albeit tenuously) a host of other, less aggressive species. It is the study of such species that Schaller describes, and produces a book richer in content than many an expedition book.

A field biologist by profession, Schaller covers in this book his travels through terrain as variegated as the Hindu Kush, the Karakoram, the Himalaya, the Nilgiri (in South India) and the Sind desert, encompassing the study of several members of the subfamily Caprinae (such as the markhor, bharal and tahr) and also the snow-leopard. His approach has no semblance to that of the scientist cocooned in his ivory tower, and one is grateful for that. Reports about wildlife have only too often lost their relevance to the mountaineer due to the plethora of Latin employed and the curt and dry approach of the writer. Schaller is a remarkable exception here. He is des- eriptive without being tedious and occasionally his writing borders on the poetic :

"Then I saw the snow leopard, a 150 ft away, peering at me from the spur, her body so well molded into the contours of the boulders that she seemed a part of them. Her smoky-grey coat sprinkled with black rosettes perfectly complemented the rocks and snowy wastes, and her pale eyes conveyed an image of immense solitude. . . . One often has empathy with animals, but rarely and unexpectedly one attains a state beyond the subjective and fleetingly almost seems to become what one beholds; here in this snowbound valley of the Hindu Kush, I briefly achieved such intimacy. Then the snow fell more thickly, and, dreamlike, the cat slipped away as if she had never been.' and: T looked around this wilderness garden with an owner's eye, knowing that it was I who was possessed.'

One also appreciates the author's awareness of the sociological climate in which he, as a scientist, must work. Thus he acknowledges that the problem of soil erosion due to overgrazing by cattle in India is not one that can be solved by merely eliminating a few cattle because of the repugnance of such a solution in the Indian ethos. Similarly, he is aware of the problems of resettlement of locals that inevitably must accompany the formation of wildlife sanctuaries. The conservationist in him speaks for our conscience too when he writes :

"I know that the villagers need their livestock, yet I also feel that the forests and wild animals belong with mankind, that a country's survival depends on the health of its land.'

The breed of Himalayan travellers obsessed only with new routes, first ascents and grades of difficulty may safely bypass this book.

For the others, and particularly so for those ossified by recent books, it will make a splendid addition to collections of mountaineering literature of quality. Quite simply, you'll never look at a bharal in the same way again.

M. H. Contractor

 

 

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HIGH MOUNTAIN PEAKS IN CHINA. Newly opened to Foreigners. Supervised by the Chinese Mountaineering Association. Pp. 45 in English, illustrated, 1980. (Co-published by the People's Sports Publishing House of China, The Tokyo Shimbum Publishing Bureau of Japan.).

In order to promote international mountaineering and enhance friendship among peoples the Chinese Mountaineering Association announced in September 1979 that eight peaks were to be opened up to foreigners and later a ninth mountain was added according to a footnote dated 10 December 1980. The book was published later than that. It is written in Chinese but an introduction of 45 pages in English is added and there are also forty-eight pages of very good colour photography of all the peaks.

Everest is the first mountain on the list but it is not called Everest. When the Chinese claimed to have climbed Everest the President of the Koyal Geographical Society congratulated the Chairman of the Physical Culture and Sports Commission on the ascent of Chomo Lungma but the reply was that the correct name of the mountain was Jolmo Lungma. Now the name is given as Qomolangma, which is supposed to be a famous name in Tibetan history and mythology. In the seventh century the Tibetan King decreed that the Qomolangma area should be used for raising birds. Qomolangma was correctly marked on maps drawn up in the early eighteenth century. The new map was printed in the Han language in 1721 and it was reprinted in French in Europe in 1733. On all these maps Qomolangma was clearly marked.

Chinese scientists surveyed the mountain in 1960, 1966-68, and in 1975. After precise calculations they gave the height as 8848.13 m. In 1958 the Chinese Mountaineering Association was formed with Wang-Fuzhou as Secretary-General and in 1960 he, with Qu Yinhua and Gonbu, made the ascent of Everest at 4.20 hours on 25 May. Of the second ascent Panduo, Deputy Leaders tells the story of how nine members of the team reached the summit at 2.30 p.m. on 27 May 1975.

The second mountain on the list was known as Gosainthan and to them as Shisha Pangma, but is now known as Xixabangma, 8012 m. Xixabangma means 'Mountain with a severe climate'. Two reconnaissance parties went in 1961 and in 1964 an expedition of 206 persons including scientific research personnel went with Xu Jing, Vice- President of the Chinese Mountaineering Association as leader of the Xixabangma Mountaineering Expedition. He with nine members of the party reached the summit at 10.20 a.m. on 2 May. In the spring of 1980 when the peaks were thrown open a team from the Federal Republic of Germany under Professor Manfred Abelein made two ascents on 7 May and 12 May.

Next come three peaks in the Kun Lun mountains; Muztagata 7546 m which was known as Mustagh Ata, Kongur 7719 m and Kongur Tiubjie 7595 m. Mention is made of Sven Hedin's attempts on Muztagata but nothing is said of Shipton and Tilman who made an attempt in August 1947 (H.J., Vol. XV) nor is there any mention of a Russo-Chinese party which climbed Muztagata in 1956 and is described in a book published by the Foreign Language Press, Peking by Yang Ke-Hsien in 1956. The text mentions that 'in 1959 eight female members of the Chinese Mountaineering Association together with their male counterparts successfully climbed to the top of the 7546 m Muztagata — the 'Father of Ice Mountains' thus creating a world record in women's group mountaineering'. In 1961 a women's team made the ascent of Kongur Tiubjie; they were led by Yuan Yang, Vice-President of the Chinese Mountaineering Association and

Panduo and Xirao reached the summit at 22.30 hrs. on 17 June. Kongur was left for Chris Bonington in 1981.

The sixth mountain is Bogda, known formerly as Bogdo Ola, 5445 m, in the Tien Shan or Tianshan mountains. Shipton and Tilman made an attempt in July 1948 but are not mentioned. Photographs in the H.J. illustrate their article which shows a lake which is also illustrated in this book and called Tianchi. No other attempt has been recorded.

The seventh mountain is in the Amne Machen mountains in Qinghai or Chinghai Province. The name has been slightly changed to Anyemaqen 6282 m. 'Anye' means 'old' and 'maqen' means senior attendant*. An expedition went from the Beijing Geological Institute which was led by Bai Jinziao and eight members of the party made the ascent at 13.20 hr on 2 June 1960.

The eighth mountain is in Szechwan or Sichuan Province. It was known as Minya Konka or Minya Gongkar but is now known as Gongga, 7590 m. It is not recorded that an American Expedition made an ascent in 1932 which was described in Men against the Clouds (reviewed in H.J., VIII and 37) by Richard Burdsall who with Terris Moore got to the top on 28 October. The Chinese attempt was in 1957 when the All China Federation of Trade Unions sent a team under Shi Zhanchun. They met with an avalanche and there were casualties, but they reached the summit at 13.30 hours on 13 June.

A piece of paper was put in a box and buried; on it was written: 'To win honour for our country and lay a foundation for her mountaineers we have scaled this peak, Gongga. Team leader Shi Zhanchun. Team members Shi Xiu, Liu Lianman, Liu Dayi Peng Zhongmu, Guo Decan.'

The ninth mountain which was later added to the list is Siguniang. but no information is given about it, except that it is in Sichuan.

John Martyn

 

 

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THE LAST STEP, THE AMERICAN ASCENT OF K2. By Rick Ridge- way. Pp. 301, illustrated, sketches, 1980. (The Mountaineers, Seattle, $25).

This book is an account of the fourth ascent of K2, the first by a party of Americans. The author is one of the climbers who reached the summit. The expedition was led by Jim Whittaker, whose attempt in 1975 failed because of bad weather and other problems. He was given permission by the authorities in Pakistan to try again in 1978. Chris Ronington's party had also been given permission for an attempt in that year, and as they had chosen the West Ridge route, the Americans opted for the Northeast Ridge.

Bad weather caused many delays on the mountain, and shortage of time and supplies caused the two summit pairs to abandon the traditional fixed-rope methods and make an alpine-style attack on the sunqunit from Camp 5. The direct route up the Northeast Ridge proved impossible, and it was necessary to traverse across the east face to the Abruzzi ridge where Camp 6 was established at some 2300 ft below the summit. From this camp both summit pairs reached the top on successive days; indeed a fine achievement.

According to the publisher's blurb this is a story of people, their fears, desires and disappointments. Most of the story is told in the form of simulated dialogue and conversation, and whereas some situations may be more vividly portrayed by this form of writing, this reviewer found its excessive use irritating. The expedition certainly had its fair share of disharmony and frustration, and the members found plenty to quarrel about. There was much argument about the use of oxygen, and in the event three of the four who reached the summit did so after discarding their oxygen apparatus.

It is surprising that a book about such an important climb should not include appendices dealing with equipment, food, transport and other relevant subjects which would be of interest to mountaineers; there is not even an index. The colour photographs which occupy 32 pages in the middle of the book are very good.

V. S. Risoe

 

 

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SASER KANGRI — Yellow Goddess of the Karakoram — The First Ascent: By Y. C. Khanna illustrated, 1980, (I.T.B.P., New Delhi, Rs 100).

Mountaineering in India has leaped and bounded over many many years required for gestation, and approached maturity in an incredibly short time. Many tough, unclimbed peaks have been ascended. The Indo-Tibet Border Police has been responsible for pioneering the route to the top of some of the most notable peaks such as that of Shivling and Saser Kangri.

The ITBP has developed within itself a very large group of mountain climbers and perhaps — it is so hoped — lovers of mountains too. The past few years have witnessed a determined onslaught on our hitherto inviolate mountains by wave upon wave of disciplined officers and other ranks of the Indo-Tibet Border Police. Was it more for duty or for the love of the mountains? I hope that this introduction has also induced some of them to go for short and challenging get-to-know-your-mountain climbs in the many spectacular places that they are billeted in. I felt a little sad that this magnificent Saser Kangri had eventually succumbed to an exceedingly well- planned para-military manoeuvre, which included the use of a helicopter for reconnoitring the route to the top, and not to a patient energy-sapping, time-honoured and infinitely more romantic way of foot slogging.

Perhaps Saser Kangri (25,170 ft) would not have been climbed in any other way. It sits astride the Great Karakoram in an area jtist as exciting, desolate, bleak and powerful as Her Imposing Majesty. The approach is about a fortnight's march from Leh, which itself is quite difficult and expensive to get to. There are no porters available in large numbers for this kind of work in such an area. Thus, it could be none else but the ITBP to step into the breach. After all they are also human, and the sight of this untamed goddess must have been too tantalizing to ward off indefinitely. With careful planning and no mean physical effort prolonged over 79 days, fourteen of them climbed the peak in early June 1973.

No ordinary group of civilian mountaineers could achieve what they had done as not only are the ITBP climbers extremely fit and well acclimatized, but most of the facilities available to them would be impossible to afford. In addition, the iniquitous INNER LINE — the blight of many an eager mountaineer, is loftier than most natural obstacles.

Finding a successful route to the mountain was, I think, the most important feather in the cap of the ITBP chaps. For it was the discovery of the Stakpa Kunchang glacier route along the Shyok river, which had never been tried or thought of before, that made this remarkable feat possible. It was this route, which was the key to climbing Saser. Other expeditions had tried along the Phukpodhe glacier from the Nubra valley and failed.

This book reads like an official report of the expedition. However, as it proceeds the innate untutored simplicity of the author surfaces, and his language and feelings, break through the drill and rigidity imposed on him by his profession. His writing becomes alive and vibrant after Camp 3. He lives. He enjoys his experience and he communicates it well. From here onwards they are no longer soldiers on an exercise, but plain homosapiens. And all the collective anguish, suspense and difficulties are described simply and effectively. The trials and tribulations of getting to the top could have been described in greater detail, especially the terrain. I would have liked to know more, and see a picture or two, of the formidable ice-wall between Camps 5 and 6. There is also no view from the top of peak of the surrounding peaks.

This book lacks descriptive passages. The first mention of the view is made as late as page 73. No mention of the view of Saser Kangri from their acclimatization camp on Khardung La or of their return via Saser La is made. The view all along the way to Mandalthang is devastatingly breathtaking — and not many ordinary mortals have beheld it. For this reason Khanna could have spent more words in describing these sights. Every day's march in this region unfolds a vision unparalleled and yet very little is portrayed. Those high deserts, with snow-capped sides of brown, purple, ochre, and black. Those hanging glaciers, and a myriad small lakes, are all ignored.

The selection of pictures is not informative. Besides, they are random and haphazardly placed. These pictures ought to have been thematically arranged. Instead of reproducing a number of hazy pictures of indistinguishable people on the summit, more pictures of the difficult climbs on rock, ice-wall and on the shale below the peak and the route above Camp 1 could have been given. An effort such as this one deserves much better illustrations than shown.

R. Bhattacharji

 

 

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HIMALAYAN HANDBOOK. By Joydeep Sircar. Pp. 168, 1979. (Rita Sircar, Calcutta, Rs 30).

This book might well be described as a summary of Himalayan history up to the end of 1975. It contains a list of peaks over 20,000 ft in height in the Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindu Kush with particulars of attempts and ascents, location of the peaks, and relevant references to journals and books where further details may be found. Sircar's little volume should prove a valuable reference book to all interested in the history of the Himalaya. In view of the great expansion in Himalayan climbing it is to be hoped that the author can see his way to produce further editions to maintain the value of the book and bring the records up to date. For instance, eleven ascents of Everest are recorded, the last in 1975, but by the end of 1979 there had been a further eight ascents, making eighteen in all (excluding the rather doubtful Chinese ascent of 1960).

Minor errors and omissions are almost bound to occur in a book of this sort but if there are any, many readers will not notice them and those who do will probably agree that they do not materially detract from the value of the book.

The statement on p. 37 that Longland 'shepherded six1 exhausted porters down from c. 26,800 ft' during the 1924 Everest expedition is not correct. Longland was not a member of the 1924 expedition; the incident took place in the course of the 1933 expedition.

It is perhaps unfortunate that an attempt has been made to revive the old name of Bride Peak for Chogolisa, if only because Hermann Buhl's death will surely always be associated with Chogolisa and not with Bride Peak.

Several of the mountains mentioned, e.g. Noshaq and Trisul, have been ascended so often that it would have been helpful if, throughout the book, all ascents had been numbered.

We hope we may look forward to another edition of the book in the not too distant future.

D. F. O. Dangar

 

 

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MOUNTAINEERING AND ITS LITERATURE. A descriptive bibliography of selected works in the English language 1744 - 1976. By W. R. Neate. Pp. 165, 6 illustrations, maps, 1978. (Cicerone Press, Cumbria, England £8.50).

This book is a very condensed history of mountaineering and an appraisal of its literature. It consists of a Subject Index, a Mountain Index, an Author Index and Appendixes. The articles in the Subject Index, e.g. Alps, Anthologies, Autobiographies, identify the salient points and carry references to the Author Index. The Mountain Index is a supplement to the Subject Index and consists of lists of mountains arranged under various ranges with details of first ascents, the name of the party and reference to books. Under Kashmir there are nine peaks, under Kulu, Spiti and Lahul eleven peaks, under Garhwal seventeen peaks and so on. Then comes the Author Index. Omitted are books on hiking, camping, caving, ski-ing, polar travel, books on geology, fauna and flora. First editions have been catalogued in full and subsequent editions have been noted in such detail as is thought necessary to identify and indicate their individual points. The total tabulated books come to 949. Ten books are credited to Eric Shipton and eighteen to Frank Smythe. What should I look up? I decided on Men against the Clouds and discovered that Richard Burdsall was a civil engineer who lived from 1895 to 1953. 1 was astonished to find my great-great-grandfather was included. Thomas Martyn was a professor of botany at Cambridge and in 1778-80 he travelled in Europe. He wrote a 'Sketch of a Tour through Swisserland (sic) with an accurate map' with which was included an expedition to the summit of Mont Blanc by M. de Saussure of Geneva to ascertain the height of that celebrated mountain.

Then come the Appendixes. Appendix I 'Bibliography and Library Catalogues' contain an item as follows: 'Himalayan Club Library; classified catalogue of books with alphabetic list of authors. Simla. Himalayan Club 1936, 69 p. Supplements 1936 — 8.' Appendix H 'Selection of mountaineering club journals published in the English language' contains an item as follows: 'Himalayan Journal. Himalayan Club 1929 — in progress'. There are four more Appendixes.

This is a most comprehensive work which it would be a pleasure to own. It has been decorated by some charming photographs by W. Unsworth.

John Martyn

 

 

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1976 SPELEOLOGICAL EXPEDITION TO THE HIMALAYA. By J. M. Wilson. Pp. 89, illustrated, maps, surveys; 1979. (Miss J. M. Wilson, S.C.R., Glen Eyre Hall, Bassett, Southampton 9, Hampshire, England, £1.26 post free).

This; is a splendid account of a 2 man and 2 woman overland expedition to the Himalaya in 1976. After much careful planning and research, they bought a secondhand long wheel-base J^and Rover and set off to look for caves in Chitral, around Mussoorie and the Doon Valley, in Nepal and in other places en route. Not content with mere exploration and survey, they did much biological, medical, hydrological and meteorological research including the discovery of two creatures previously unknown to the scientific world. Together with the scienti- fic reports are the expedition log, medical, transport, equipment, vehicle, catering and documentation reports which will be essential reading for any future overland expedition when the political situations in Iran and Afghanistan improve.

Purists will complain about the innumerable typing errors, poor binding and captions divorced from the illustrations — but what do they expect for twentyfive bob including postage? As the Editress points out in her apology, they lend character to the report, and will facilitate her appointment to the Editorial Board of the Guardian In these days of hyperinflation it is marvellous value for money — and they expect to make a profit. It deserves to be bought by everyone with an interest in caves, biology and the Orient.

By now some readers will be asking themselves what this has to do with members of a mountaineering club. The answer, for those resident in India & Pakistan, is a great deal. Speleology in Europe was largely pioneered by mountaineers who wanted a change of scenery in which to practise their skills. Because of the above- mentioned political problems, there will be no more overland expeditions for a long time to come. Therefore the caves in the Indian subcontinent will have to be explored by the local residents. I exhort you to read a copy, then to organize your own caving trips. You will find it to be much cheaper, less time-consuming and just as rewarding as a mountain trip. To misquote: GO EAST YOUNG MAN — AND GO DOWN IN THE COUNTRY .... to the caves in Assam.

S. A. Craven

 

 

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HIMALAYA ET KARAKORAM. By Toni Hiebeler. Pp. 248, 134 colour illustrations, map on end-papers. (Silva, Zurich, 1980.
Available in French, German and Italian).

'Yet another coffee-table book' is the first impression you get on picking up this big, gorgeous volume, with the stark tooth of Kyajo Ri on the front cover neatly counterpointing the buxom Sherpani on the back. But closer inspection partly dispels this impression: despite the chattily superficial coverage that seems to be the hallmark of the genre, the authentic mountaineer in Hiebeler (who made the first winter ascent of the Eiger Nordwand, but had in recent years been better known as the man behind Alpinismus) shines through in some of the massive captions, and in the choice of photographs like the panorama of the Gankerpunzum range in Bhutan. It shows most of all in the choice of the haunting story of the 1939 K2 expedition, to set off the standard fare of Everest, Macchapuchare and the Muztagh Tower.

Hiebeler, who has taken most of the photographs himself, proves to be a good mountain photographer rather than a great one like Shira- kawa, but it is the coverage rather than the pictorial quality that one carps at. Once again it is the area around Everest and the Kath- mandu valley that gets the maximum attention, while Nanda Devi, Nun-Kun and Leh are left to do justice to the entire range between Dhaulagiri and Nanga Parbat. One doesn't like it: but then, the proportionate coverage is probably an accurate reflection of the balance of popular interest in the West. It is a pity that no English edition is available.

joydeep sircar

 

 

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CALCULATED RISK. By Dougal Haston. Pp. 190, 1979. (Diadem Books Ltd., London £5.95).

Just before Dougal Haston was killed in a skiing accident at the age of 37 he completed writing his first novel. It is a pity that he did not live to see it published, because it is a good novel and he was clearly expressing his own thoughts when the hero's friend in Glencoe was attempting to do what most writers of fact want to try at least once — to write a novel.

Apart from a number of obvious sketches drawn from life there is an astonishingly clear account of an escape from a powder-snow avalanche on a steep ski descent above Leysin in Switzerland which was where Haston himself met his death under identical conditions. It was a slope that he had always regarded as a challenge under those particular conditions, and he, must have been fully aware of the critically narrow margin of safety when he embarked on that last fatal descent.

Dougal Haston was considered at the time of his death to be amongst the top of the world's climbing elite. The medium of fiction enables him to drop his natural reserve and the narrative flows with a freshness and depth, bringing to life the authenticity of a semi-biographical story. The novel concerns the exploits of extreme climbers; their dedication to a way of life and their total commitment to their climbs. Also their relationships with those who take second place to their climbing. It is not necessary to be a climber to enjoy the book; and a climber almost feels aware of the absence of photographs, so faithfully does the book read like a real climbing story.

The final setting during a major winter climb above Chamonix, brings the book to a suspense-filled climax. Despite a credit balance in favour of their basic integrity, does one agree with the underlying ethic of the lives portrayed? It would be unjust to pre-empt an answer, because there are so few who actually reach the topmost heights.

Trevor Braham

 

 

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ANNAPURNA — A WOMAN'S PLACE. By Arlene Blum. Pp. 256, 118 illustrations, maps, 1980 (Sierra Club Books, San Francisfco, $14.95).

This is the story of one of the achievements by women in the annals of mountaineering. In August 1978, a band of thirteen women set out from Berkeley, California — their goal was the ascent of Annapurna I, the thirteenth highest peak in the world. Twelve days after leaving Kathmandu, they established Base Camp at 14,500 ft next to the Annapurna North glacier. This is the story of their struggle — against nature in all her fury. Wjhen they faced the worst avalanche season in memory; against confrontations with Sherpas and conflicts amongst themselves; against a sagging morale when the mountain pushed them back again and again. This is the story of their ascent on 15 October, 1978. But this success was shortlived; a tragic accident took place two days later when two of their team-mates fell to their death during the second summit bid.

Blum has told this story with a refreshing candidness in which she hasn't spared even herself. She has brought out the intense emotional experiences so lucidly that it is very easy for even the casual reader to identify with and experience what each member of the team goes through during that period. And this would hold true especially for wcmen readers. There are a lot more smaller Annapurnas in the lives of women the world over and essentially it is the courage and commitment that count most.

sushma mahajan

 

 

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THE MOUNTAIN SPIRIT. Edited by Michael Tobias and Harold Drasdo. Pp. 264, 48 illustrations, 1980. (Victor Gollancz Ltd., London, £7.95).

The Editors claim to reveal through the present volume 'How Universally and Variously the Mountain Experience has been perceived, and to persuade the scholar and passive admirer of mountains, that invaluable avenues of thought are made accessible, through physical activity in the hills.'

To pursue this declared aim, the Editors have presented the material through the pens of a wide range of writers. More often than not, this tends to make the book a meandering collection of disparate ideas, which at times give hardly any Mountain Experience to which one can personally relate. Classic examples of these are — 'The Two Early Eastern Texts'. The slots into which these selections are fitted, are such that they strain the mind overly without widening the scope of thought. Some of the ideas presented under these sub-titles sometimes tyrannize the intellect. One tends to get lost in the murky depths of the written word, specially the section on 'Painters and Poets'.

Of course, like the quick darting of the sun's rays, there are a few redeeming features, viz.: Tom Lyon's 'Mountain Mind', David Robert's 'Alaska and Personal Style', Howell's 'Storming a Myth', T. S. Blakeney on 'Kailas: A Holy Mountain', give quite absorbing accounts of journies in the Mountain Experience. It commands its appreciation by the personal touch against the backdrop of historical facts and local mythology, 'Makalu' by Jeffery Long provides a welcome relief in that sea of intellectual mist, which one has to continually wade through. The get-up with the many photographs is quite attractive.

Z. S. Boga

 

 

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GOING HIGH, THE STORY OF MAN AND ALTITUDE. By Charles S. Houston, M.D. Pp. 211, 35 illustrations, sketches, 1980 (The American Alpine Club, New York, £5.75).

Charles Houston, a Flight Surgeon during World War II, ardent mountaineer and keen research worker in high altitude medicine, is an active participant and keen observer of the information revolution that evolved rapidly after World War II. It is from this privileged vantage point that he presents to the mountaineer community this well-written volume.

He believes that 'prevention is better than cure and that the best prevention is built on understanding one's body'.

Thus he starts the book with a scholarly and very interesting research chapter on 'Towards understanding the physical universe'.

The main body of the book thereafter deals with cardio-pulmonary physiology in very simple and effective language and its relationship with high-altitude illness.

The author has written a chapter on acclimatization very lucidly, explaining the different organs' response to high altitude.

The author's scholarship is reflected in his excellent references and notes as well as in a detailed and useful index.

Rodhan H. Shroff, M.B.,M.S.

 

 

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VIGNETTES OF NEPAL. By Harka Gurung. Pp. 435, 100 illustrations, maps, 1980 (Sajha Prakashan, Kathmandu).
A GUIDE TO TREKKING IN NEPAL. By Stephen Bezruchka. (4th Edition). Pp. 258, illustrated, 9 maps, 1981 (The Mountaineers, Seattle Washington, $8.95).

Ever since Nepal threw open its doors to foreigners, there has been a glut in books about the country; often of dubious quality. Here we have two books written by two disparate personalities connected by their affection for Nepal.

Bezruchka, a Canadian physician involved with health-care programmes in Nepal, provides detailed information about every aspect with which the trekker in Nepal need concern himself and a little more too. This advice to trekkers to take souvenirs in your mind and spirit, not in your pockets shows his concern at the drastic changes introduced by the invasion of trekkers. This type of attitude permeates the book and sets it apart from many another guide book.

Gurung's book is in the form of a narrative. It is meticulously descriptive and presents aspects of Nepali history and culture with the insight of one bom to the land. However, it disappoints in its lack of personal comment about the damage done to Nepal's hills and their culture by the tourist boom. It would be interesting to know about what a Nepali feels about Nepal today.

Each book is well illustrated and together make a comprehensive course of information for trekkers.

M. H. Contractor

 

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