BOOK REVIEWS

1. FALLEN GIANTS.
2. HERO OF EVEREST: TENZING
3. THE RAJA OF HARSIL.
4. HIMALAYAN PLAYGROUND.
5. THE LOST RIVER.
6. HIMALAYA LENS AND PASSION.
7. ARUNACHAL PRADESH. THE HIDDEN LAND.
8. SERVANTS OF THE MAP.
9. MEMORIES OF SURVEYING IN INDIA.

 

 

 

FALLEN GIANTS. By Maurice Issennan and Stuart Weaver. Pp. 579, 58 b/w photos, maps and peak sketches by Dee Molenaar (Yale University Press. New Haven & London, nps).

'Because it is there'. These were the unforgettable words of George Mallory, when asked by a reporter in Philadelphia, why he aspired to climb Everest. Which inevitably brings us to the most common question people ask mountaineers: 'Why do you climb mountains?' Is it to set them apart mentally and physically from the rest of the flock? Are they reaching out to the spiritual, the divine? In one way or the other though, it is a way of self actualisation. It is done to satisfy one's ego, to challenge one's limits and surpass them.

This book tries to portray the course of such endeavours in the Himalaya, the history of climbing in the highest and harshest environments. So mu:ch so, that it is often tenned 'The Third Pole' of the earth.

The authors start off with the origin of the Himalaya and the early tales from Hindu / Buddhist Scriptures. The narrative then fast forwards to the British Raj and their need to survey these mountains, to stake a claim on the territory, which expedited forays into these areas. One also gets a glimpse of how mountaineering evolved from an activity into a sport in the west — in the Alps. The evolution of mountaineering in the region is described, from the colonial times to the current times. It tells the tales of many pioneers in the Himalaya in respective eras — Godwin Austen, Francis Younghusband, George Mallory, Edmund Hillary, Chris Boningtonand Reinhold Messner, to name a few.

The book is not a comprehensive history describing all the climbs. Rather, the authors have tried to pick what they thought are notable events, and people associated, that changed the course of climbing altogether. or are significant to certain regions like America. Where the book differs in its account, from the other records and journals, is that it is not just the passive chronology of events occuring. Instead, it provides a pichlre of the lives of the climbers and the expeditions outside the climbing habitat. which gives us an insight into their personality. It gives a better understanding of why those people and organisations acted the way they did. Events prior to and after the climbs are chronicled, giving us an impression of general perception of climbing in those eras. It depicts how climbing began in the Himalayan folds in the British Empire era, and how it progressed to its current frenzied levels, along with the changing cultures, traditions, styles, ambitions and concerns.

The writers have tried to portray how the dynamics of mountaineering have changed over the years, in Himalaya in particular as well as in general. From the pre and post world war times of expeditions involving anny like tactics of siege and collective execution, to the Current popularity of Alpine style climbing, they take us through the transition occurring over the course of time. Apart from the hardships associated with climbing itself, the other problems associated with human conflicts and management of resources have also been highlighted. From the infamous 'Beast 666' Aleister Crowley, to John Roskelley, and even Reinhold Messner, history is full of gifted climbers who were far from ideal human beings. The problems arising out of overconfidence and conflicting egos have been displayed. We also come across the fruits of efficient management as exemplified by John Hunt on the Everest 1953 expedition, which metamorphosed mountaineering in the true sense and gave Hillary and Tenzing their larger than life status. Prior to that, we come across the single minded determination of another genius Mallory, who was only defeated by nature's sudden mood swings in these terrains, and his own dogged mentality. The Shipton — Tilman partnership shows camaraderie of the highest order. As we move on past the 60s, a shift in goals and ambitions of individuals is observed. Reaching the summit seems to take precedence over success of the mission. It is epitomised by Reinhold Messner, arguably the greatest climber of the 70s and 80s, highly individualistic in nature and famous for his solo climbs of the Himalayan mountains, including Everest.

The depiction of climbing cultures of people from different regions is quite poignant. The British always sought out perfection and purity, heralding what in the future would be called free climbing. On the other hand, Gennans were characterised by their nationalist behaviour and the use of mechanical aids, making climbing look somewhat mechanical. From the earlier times when Sherpas and porters were viewed as nothing more than load carrying animals, to the current state. where guides are respected and paid handsomely on 'guided expeditions', the world seems to have changed quite a lot. Also something which has changed is the increased awareness towards protecting the environment, as the size of the maddening crowd seems to be affecting these fragile biospheres increasingly and alarmingly.

Lastly, attention has been given by the authors to the achievements of American climbers in the Himalaya. From the early days when climbers in America were seen as a queer lot, to the current day of mountaineering and climbing as a profession, the progress of climbing has been shown. From the days of Charlie Houston, when collecting funds for an expedition was a major headache, to Messner who earns a living through books, lectures and shows, and is a professional climber, we see the way mountaineering has evolved, as a marketable commodity, a way of life. It demonstrates how the American climbers came to hold their own in the Himalaya, alongside the British, the Germans and the Japanese amongst others.

But even with the changing times, basic principles and the desire to climb remains the same. Mountaineers will keep challenging the boundaries, keep setting and achieving new goals. Mountaineering doesn't involve opponents or spectators - often mountaineers are out there on their own, isolated from the world, living life on their own terms. Houston famously quoted in his report to the American Alpine Journal about his 1950 Everest reconnaissance: 'It seemed debatable that we were returning to civilization. As we came back to the worries, the pleasures and the responsibilities placed upon us by our own way of life, we could not forget the motto over the public school in our favourite town of Dankhuta: 'Gather courage, don't be a chicken - hearted fellow.'

MALLIKARJUN SINGH

 

 

⇑ Top

 

HERO OF EVEREST: TENZING: A Biography of Tenzing Norgay. By Ed Douglas, Pp. 299, illustrated, 2004. (National Geographic, Washington. $15).

To a generation where Everest has become a bit of a bore the prospect of another book on Tenzing invites little interest. Surely his remarkable life from nomadic rags to international fame has been wrung of all its juices? But Ed Douglas's biography first printed in 2003 proves to be a valuable assessment of the real worth of Tenzing. Instead of painting a series of flat portraits Douglas scrutinises each of the protagonists in the 1953 Hunt expedition and examines their backgrounds to produce little known facts, including some that have been suppressed apparently on the grounds of political correctness. For example until he climbed Everest Tenzing was known as Tenzing Bhotia. The appellation 'Norgay' was a misnomer that misled readers about his place of birth and nationality.¹ Recently when reading Tony Astill's impressive account of the hitherto unpublished 1935 Everest expedition I discovered Tenzing had been born on the wrong side of the Nangpa lao The genuine puzzle whether nomadic loyalties are due to Nepal, India or Tibet - seems to have clouded not just the thinking of the Everest hero but were responsible for his tragic decline into bitterness. He probably suffered from the immigrant syndrome of never knowing where he really belonged.

It is doubtful if Tenzing was involved in the CIA Nanda Devi caper as the author suggests, since the CIA paid handsomely to buy climbers' silence and Tenzing was neither rich nor silent. Lionised initially as a Nepali Sherpa, Tenzing was seduced by Pandit Nehru's charisma (and lounge suits) into becoming a Darjeeling Pahari. He was both things to a certain extent but technically neither and culturally something else. IfTenzing had climbed Everest in order to discover his true identity he never succeeded. Though he had a special relationship with Chomolungma he climbed primarily for economic benefits that sadly never fully materialised.

Lord Hunt's career as fascinating counterpoint to Tenzing's is dissected by the author but too defensively. Obviously Hunt was no racist but he lacked awareness of how his professional opinion of Tenzing as a 'competent climber' would jar on local sensibilities. As British team leader he also lacked the objectivity to admit that without Tenzing there would have been no ascent. Only a fellow Tiger could inspire the Sherpas by heroic example to deliver loads to the higher camps. The subtext of the book is in the quick-changing political scenario of the Himalayan states that left even well-meaning outsiders like Hunt flat-footed in their responses. There is irony in the British high commissioner's complaint that a close relation ofTenzing was 'forceful and grasping' because this is precisely the charge millions of Asians make against British colonial attitudes. The strength of Ed Douglas' book is the insight he brings to bear on the symbolic achievement of Ten zing on Everest. His ascent in 1953 was more significant for popular Asian morale than the sinking of the Russian fleet by the Japanese in 1904.

BILL AITKEN

 

 

⇑ Top

 

THE RAJA OF HARSIL. The legend of Frederick 'Pahari' Wilson. By Robert Hutchinson. Pp. 290, 34 b/w pictures, 1 sketch map, 2010. (Lotus Collection, Roli Books, New Delhi, Rs. 395).

In Yorkshire, never had anyone in their wildest dreams thought, that a commoner named Fredrick Wilson, who joined the British army to escape a wretched life filled with poverty, would one day rule a kingdom in the exotic lands of India. HarsiL the picture postcard hamlet overlooking the Bhagirathi river in Uttaranchal is famous for its views. And the lore of Frederick Wilson or the 'Raja of Harsil', which the Canadian author Robert Hutchinson unearthed from the trails of Garhwai.

An adventurer at heart, Wilson was a British fugitive, who deserted the anny, escaped the law, and led a vagabond life, evenhlally to find fame and fabulous fortune, in Harsii. Here he married a very beautiful pahari girl by the name of Gulabi. And then went on to build a fortune out of the export of animal skins, fur and musk. However what really earned him the richest man of Northern India title was demand for quality wooden sleepers for the Indian Railways. Wilson entered the timber trade and cashed in on this. Initially, Wilson had not taken pemlission from the Raja of Tehri-Garhwal for his logging business. But later, he acquired a lease froll1 the Raja, giving him a share in the profits. It is said that the revenue of the Raja of Tehri went up tenfold. Wilson's own personal wealth increased so much, that he minted his own currency. He was known to lead a life that would be the envy of most kings.

In 288 pages, the author captures the fine nuances of the British era. The myths and tales of valour of Wilson. His interaction with the Garhwali people. The rags to riches story. The change of events. The opulent life. And life in that era in general. Wilson died on 21 July 1883 at the age of 66 and was buried at the cemetery in Mussoorie. Sadly, his bloodline too vanished in a few years after his death. The personality of Pahari Wilson will go down in the annals of history as an Englishmen who made one of the most remote places in India known to people. The legend of 'Pahari' Wilson will roll on.

RITABRATA SAHA

 

 

⇑ Top

 

HIMALAYAN PLAYGROUND. Adventure on The Roof of the World, 1942-72. By Trevor Braham. Pp. 107, paperback, 29 colour and 12 b/w photos, maps, 2008. (The Inn Pin, Glasgow, £ 9.99).

Trevor Braham has led an energetic life, covering mountains in the Alps and the higher ranges. His first book, Himalayan Odyssey covered his joumeys in great detail. He has been visiting the lesser known areas, no high mountain climbing for him. Garhwal, Sikkim, Spiti, Karakoram, Swat and Kohistan and Kaghan are some of places where he has trekked much before others went there. He covers the area now with fresher perspectives than the first work and relives some of the pleasures.

Braham lived in India and Pakistan for a long time and this gave him the opportunity to visit these areas. Himalayan Playground is Braham's final memoir of the period of mountain exploration that will never be seen again. Doug Scott sums up the book well in his Foreword; 'He looks back to those times 60 years later with deep appreciation for all that mountain has given him'.

And true to the verse Braham has quoted in his Introduction, he has taken the 'tide of affairs' well and not lost his ventures.

HARISH KAPADIA

 

 

⇑ Top

 

THE LOST RIVER. On the Trail of the Saraswati. By Michel Danino, Pp. 357. 2010. (Penguin, New Delhi, Rs.399).

Did the Saraswati, originally more sacred than the Ganga flow as a mighty river giribhya a samudrat (from the mountains to the sea) as claimed by the Rigveda? Or was it always what it is today, a mystical third stream seen only by the third eye at Prayag, swelling the sangam of the Ganga and Yamuna at Allahabad, a symbolic third river in the official logo of Uttar Pradesh?

The weight of the evidence points to a position nearer to the first of these extremes and Michel Danino proves an excellent guide in presenting a readable overview of what has become in the post colonial era a most heated debate. Needless to say the guide being a Frenchman delights in exposing British colonial misconceptions especially in positing the takeover of the Harappan civilization by a supposed Aryan invasion. This involves the Gallic assumption that all British scholars are perfidious. To further weaken his case about the fictitious nature of Aryans the author leaves out any evidence embarrassing to his cause. Thus there is no mention of Lokmanya Tilak's intellectually formidable treatise proving by Vedic astronomy that his forebears hailed from north Europe. Nor in the argument on the need for a Himalayan glacial source of the Saraswati does the author mention the 12,000 ft presence of Chur Chandni brooding over the Shiwaliks which could well 4000 years ago have given rise to streams (including the now east flowing Giri) whose flow might fonnerly have reached the Arabian Sea.

The debate has turned political and expeditions have been funded by Hindu nationalists to prove beyond doubt the existence of the Saraswati outside the Vedic texts. So far nothing conclusive has been forthcoming. The leftist historian Irfan Habib also entered the fray to suggest the Saraswati was but a rivulet swelled by 'false patriotism'. Other historians argue that the actual Saraswati was the river Haravaiti in Aghanistan. The 'Vedic night' theory now stands rejected argues the author but this seems premature until the Indus script has been deciphered and an even greater mystery explained. How to reconcile the claim of those pundits who claim continuity of Vedic tradition with the historical disconnect of many millennia? Anyone who physically examines the course of the dried up river in Haryana and Rajasthan will find enough evidence to suggest it was once physically real and worthy of the veneration it called forth.

That its SW flow diverted SE because of a tectonic shift dividing the waters of the Satluj from those of the Yamuna is perfectly credible to the most ordinary traveller from Paonta to Nahan. Thanks to the relative flatness of the watershed you are simply not aware you are crossing the greatest fluvial divider on the subcontinent. The most convincing evidence for me was to continue on to a friend's farm near Ambala and learn from the villagers that the seasonal stream is still called (and suitably worshipped as) the Saraswati.

BILL AITKEN

 

 

⇑ Top

 

HIMALAYA LENS AND PASSION. The story behind all my favorite pictures. By Ashok Dilwali. Pp. 147, 100 photographs, 2009. (Kinsey Bros, New Delhi. Rs. 695).

One would imagine after writing 21 books there would be some element of repetition across books but yet again Ashok Dilwali has come up with a unique fonnat for his latest book. In Himalaya Lens & Passion, Dilwali has selected 100 of his best pictures from over 300 trips he has done to the Himalaya over the years. With each picture Ashok has provided details about the area where the picture was taken, some infonnation on how the photograph was taken and why according to him it is special. In addition with each photograph Ashok has shared information on what camera and lens was used and what were the speed and aperture settings, which were selected.

Today with the advent of digital cameras there is a huge interest in adventure seekers to 'shoot like Dilwali' when they are in the mountains. There is no better way to learn than having a look at high quality snaps taken by leading photographers. From a perspective of adventure lovers there is the added attraction on getting updated on some amazing locations in the Himalaya. Dilwali has devoted a lifetime photographing the Himalaya and this is quite evident from both the quality of the photographs and the story around each snap.

I found details of a trek to Lam Dal of immense interest. Lam Dal is a high altitude lake in the Dhauladhar range and can be approached through a weeklong trek starting from Dharamsala and subsequently crossing the Minkiani pass. In his description of a panorama of the lake Dilwali noticed that the reflection of the snow on the lake created an image of 'OM.' When the same photograph is looked at sideway it resembles a Trisul and when you look at it upside down it looks like the face of a bird. The mountains throw up many a tale and Dilwali has certainly witnessed a fair share of them over the years.

In my opinion Himalaya Lens and Passion is an interesting format which would appeal to the current generation of trekkers who are not only looking for some stunning location to visit but want to come back with a prize in terms of a memorable photograph.

MANINDER KOHLI

 

 

⇑ Top

 

ARUNACHAL PRADESH. THE HIDDEN LAND. By Mamang Dai. Many colour and b/w photos, maps, sketches, 2009. (Penguin enterprise, New Delhi, Rs. 1800).

The author of this book is a civil servant and journalist who lives in Itanagar, capital of Arunachal Pradesh. So in a way this is a book on the land by an insider. The perspective of a person living in the area and the one who researches from books is always different and here we see a personal approach to the area.

The author covers various legends of the land, like 'Myths of creation', 'The way of Donyi-Polo' and 'The Story of the beginning of the world' - all as seen from an Arunachali's eyes. There are excellent pictures and narration of the travels. However I do not agree with one point — that this is a Hidden Land, as the areas she has covered are areas visited by many tourists. Far deep inside the jungles lies another Arunachal which is a true hidden land.

However, this book will re-kindle interest in this beautiful land and provide a different kind of information to a visitor.

HARISH KAPADIA

 

 

⇑ Top

 

SERVANTS OF THE MAP. By Andrea Barrett. Pp. 270, 2002. (W. W. Norton & co., New York, nps).

In this collection, the flagship story 'Servants of the Map' is a narrative in letters between Max Vigne, the most junior member of a survey group mapping the Himalaya in the 1860s and his wife Clara in England. She has written to him letters in the future that he sparingly reads like treasures. He writes to her, pleasant in the beginning, and increasingly allowing the reality of his trials to creep in till when he finds he hasn't much to write to her about at all.

His journeys are dotted with hardship. Through difficult terrain and times where he cannot write because the ink has frozen over, he develops a keen sense of observation of things around him. He finds solace in a letter exchange with a significant botanist. This science comes as an answer just as he is searching for himself.

The story ends as Max is caught between returning to his estranged family and pursuing a study of the mountains to build a case as a botanist when he returns home. His tribulations are once again related in a sensitive letter he writes to Clara to end the story. The letter speaks more than its words.

What is intriguing is that the stories in this collection are all interwoven, with Max and Clara returning in the last story 'The Cure'. The stories have a scientific bent and make for sensitive, intelligent reading.

RAHIL MEHTA

 

 

⇑ Top

 

MEMORIES OF SURVEYING IN INDIA. By Gordon Osmaston (1919-1939). Edited and published by T. G. Osmaston. Pp. 55,2005. (Windermere UK, nps).

Modesty is a rare virtue and in an age of long and loud expedition reports signifying little, there is need for the ordinary adventurer to record his or her feelings and observations on the march. irrespective of any literary inspiration.

This small collection of reminiscences ought to be a model for every member of the Himalayan Club and encourage the virtue of 'steady plodding' (as Osmaston puts it) above 'morning thrusting.' Even when we are not natural writers the mountains that give us so much deserve some recompense. Hence the need to convey our own unique relationship in joyful recapitulation rather than have it filtered out in the long-faced prose of our obituary.

Since the age of Professor Kenneth Mason few surveyors have put pen to paper despite the privileges they enjoy of access to unknown areas and —at least in the old days as Osmaston reveals — the prospect of adventure searching them out then sorely testing their endurance. Beginning with an ascent of Kings College chapel (discreet enough to avoid the pot shots of the head porter) Osmaston transferred from the Indian Anny to the Survey. Unusual in official British surveying history he is full of praise for Indian skills at plane tabling. Throughout his career he shows a compassionate concem for the menial khalasis and describes in detail the deprivations they underwent for cartographic faithfulness. Fortune took him the length of the Himalaya, from Bunna (1925-1927) to the North West Frontier(1927-1928). When his party was caught in Waziristan without an anned escort Osmaston 'tried to show unanned friendship' to the hostile tribesmen and won them over with his straightforwardness. In Ajmer in 1930 he met with border neurosis between two princely states. Cannily he solved it by insisting both sides stand in the hot sun until agreement was reached. Whereupon both parties fainting from the heat urged him to draw a line down the middle ofthe disputed land and be done with it.

Next in Shillong (1931-1932) he was rudely awakened from his camp bed by an elephant in musth and the following two years he and his anned escort dodged head hunting villagers in Nagaland to exit via Rangoon. Then to the other extreme he was posted in the desert of Sind and the Rann of Kutch. In 1936 he began his love affair with Uttarakhand. He surveyed the Gangotri area in 1936 and with two khalasis climbed a peak of 19,850 ft. above the Chaturangi glacier. In 1936 Osmaston along with Eric Shipton and Tensing (who had a temperature of 108 thanks to a faulty thennometer) surveyed Nanda Devi inner sanctuary. The following year the Mana and Niti passes were surveyed and in 1938 (again with Tensing in his party) the Milam glacier came under purview. Summing up the character of this outstanding surveyor Tensing described Osmaston as the kindest person he had ever met.

BILL AITKEN

 

⇑ Top