GREAT YEAR ON THE WORLD’S MOUNTAINS

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27564, 22 January 1955, Page 3

GREAT YEAR ON THE WORLD’S MOUNTAINS

[Reviewed by

W.P.P.]

The Mountain World, 1954. Edited by Marcel Kun. Allen and Unwin. 224 pp.

Following the unfolding of new terrain and reading of men’s reactions to their self-imposed activity—these are two cardinal features in mountaineers’ accounts which attract the reader. Unlike many sports, the ground is a large piece of physical reality, the problems it presents natural in that they result from the variety of weather, rock, snow vegetation—not to mention indigenous inhabitants, unique in that the combinations are always different. Again the climber is alone with his companions, or even with himself—most of all at the greatest moments of success or failure. His activity can only be generally communicated by literary effort. Thus the place of a mountaineering compendium is more sure than can be said for most sports. Formerly the “Alpine Journal” (London) carried out the function of giving the reader of English a world-wide coverage. Variety in response to mountains was frequently concealed beneath a well bred British reticence. Today a publication of the Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research has assumed this task. Until 1953, their annual “Berge der Welt” or “Montagnes du Monde” was published alternatively in German and French. In 1953 it made a welcome appearance in these two languages, and additionally in English and Italian. Their experiment has apparently been a success, and The Mountain World 1954 is now to hand. Dealing with expeditions of the previous year, it thus covers the “annus mirabilis” of climbing, and rightly a quarter of the book is devoted to Mount Everest. The Swiss autumn attempt in 1952 and the successful British effort in 1953 are both here-;-the latter succintly done by Wilfrid Noyce. Much has already appeared about these expeditions in these columns, and it is on the thirteen remaining accounts that the reviewer feels he must concentrate. There are two gripping stories, both of attempts in the Karakorams. Dr. Houston writes of the American expedition to K2, second highest mountain in . the world (climbed subsequently by an Italian party in 1954). His is a magnificent story, well written and clear. Bad luck—not as is more often the case in climbing, bad management—settled on the team after their great effort of carrying food and equipment to 26,000 ft Their route was so severe that porters could not be used safely above 21,000 ft and so they were not employed. Abnormal conditions saw monsoon weather penetrating to K2 and the entire American team were snow bound for nine days at the same height as the South Col on Everest. But they were without oxygen. One member developed paratyring Wood clots in his leg. and a gallant attempt

was made to carry him down. As Houston soberly writes “this prospect chilled us.” In their well-nigh impossible struggle disaster almost engulfed the entire team. The fact that all save their injured companion survived lies in the extraordinary

courage, strength and endurance of the team.

To this account of apparent failure that of the successful Austro-Ger-man party of Nanga Parbat offers a complete contrast The team as such seems scarcely to have existed, least of all on the mountain. During a spell of good weather one man gained the 26,650 ft summit spent the night out on his return at over 26,000 ft in providentially calm warm conditions and escaped safely to his fellow climbers waiting below. Their tale, briefly told here is grimly absorbing. It is prefaced by a very fair history of previous attempts on Nahga Parbat by the Swiss, Dr. Dyhrenfurth. One expedition, to the Nun (23,410 ft is unique in that one of the final pair to reach the summit was a woman—Madame Kogan. The tale of this mixed expedition, four French, two Indians, one Swiss, is told engagingly by Vittoz, the Swiss missionary who with Madame Kogan gained the peak.

Of Asiatic nations, only Japan has taken up the Western game of mountain climbing. Two Japanese expeditions to Manaslu (26,650 ft), the second of which came within 1300 ft of the summit, are described. From their story one is given an impression of earnest and thorough organisation, which led to a most successful reconnaissance of

the mountain. They hdnestly appraise their failure: the common Himalayan error of underestimating the strength

A section of the book deals with Arctic exploration and climbing. The Arctic Institute and Swiss Foundation Scientific expedition to Baffin Island was successful in climbing one of the most startling peaks ever seen—Mount Asgard (6598 ft a sheer granite rock tower of compelling beauty. Scientific reports of their work are briefly noted. Three explorations in N.E. Greenland, written by Swiss participants in the Danish 1953 East Greenland Expedition are also included. The world tour is rounded off by a pleasant account by the English climber, D. L. Busk, of some further climbs made by his party in the Ruwenzori group of Central Africa. But to describe only the written accounts is to omit the most attractive feature of this volume. Never have more superb mountain photographs been seen by this reviewer within the covers of one volume. All 64 are perfectly reproduced. Many are double page size. Those on Everest put to shame even their counterparts in the official publications. One seems to be looking at the original full plate photograph. It seems scarcely necessary, therefore, to state that the book and blocks are produced in Switzerland. Here is a rare book, as much a delight to handle as to read.