In 1934, after fifty years of trying, mountaineers finally gained access to the Nanda Devi Sanctuary in the Garhwal Himalaya. Two years later an expedition led by H.W. Tilman reached the summit of Nanda Devi. At over 25,000 feet, it was the highest mountain to be climbed until 1950. The Ascent of Nanda Devi , Tilmanâs account of the climb, has been widely hailed as a classic. Keenly observed, well informed and at times hilariously funny, it is as close to a âconventionalâ mountaineering account as Tilman could manage. Beginning with the history of the mountain (âthere was noneâ) and the expeditionâs arrival in India, Tilman recounts the build-up and approach to the climb. Writing in his characteristic dry style, he tells how Sherpas are hired, provisions are gathered (including âa mouth-blistering sauce containing 100 per cent chilliesâ) and the climbers head into the hills, towards Nanda Devi. Superbly parodied in The Ascent of Rum Doodle by W.E. Bowman, The Ascent of Nanda Devi was among the earliest accounts of a climbing expedition to be published. Much imitated but rarely matched, it remains one of the best.
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Dec 3, 2022
€6.54