Publisher's Synopsis
Throughout
1949 and 1950 H.W. 'Bill' Tilman mounted pioneering expeditions to Nepal
and its Himalayan mountains, taking advantage of some of the first access to
the country for Western travellers in the 20th century. Tilman and his
party-including a certain Sherpa Tenzing Norgay-trekked into the Kathmandu
Valley and on to the Langtang region, where the highs and lows began.
They
first explored the Ganesh Himal, before moving on to the Jugal Himal and the
following season embarking on an ambitious trip to Annapurna and Everest.
Manaslu was their first objective, but left to 'better men', and
Annapurna IV very nearly climbed instead but for bad weather which dogged the
whole expedition. Needless to say, Tilman was leading some very lightweight
expeditions into some seriously heavyweight mountains.
After
the Annapurna adventure Tilman headed to Everest with-among others-Dr Charles
Houston. Approaching from the delights of Namche Bazaar, the party made
progress up the flanks of Pumori to gaze as best they could into the Western
Cwm, and at the South Col and South-East Ridge approach to the summit of
Everest. His observations were both optimistic and pessimistic: 'One cannot
write off the south side as impossible until the approach from the head of the
West Cwm to this remarkably airy col has been seen.' But then of the West
Cwm: 'A trench overhung by these two tremendous walls might easily become a
grave for any party which pitched its camp there.'
Nepal
Himalaya
presents Tilman's favourite sketches, encounters with endless yetis, trouble
with the porters, his obsessive relationship with alcohol and issues with the
food. And so Tilman departs Nepal for the last time proper with these retiring
words: 'If a man feels he is failing to achieve this stern standard he
should perhaps withdraw from a field of such high endeavour as the Himalaya.'
