{"product_id":"9781909461390","title":"Nepal Himalaya: The most mountainous of a singularly mountainous country.","description":"\u003cp\u003eThroughout 1949 and 1950 \u003cb\u003eH.W. ‘Bill’ Tilman\u003c\/b\u003e mounted pioneering expeditions to \u003cb\u003eNepal\u003c\/b\u003e and its \u003cb\u003eHimalayan mountains\u003c\/b\u003e, 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 \u003cb\u003eTenzing Norgay\u003c\/b\u003e—trekked into the \u003cb\u003eKathmandu Valley\u003c\/b\u003e and on to the Langtang region, where the highs and lows began.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThey first explored the \u003cb\u003eGanesh Himal\u003c\/b\u003e, before moving on to the \u003cb\u003eJugal Himal\u003c\/b\u003e and the following season embarking on an ambitious trip to \u003cb\u003eAnnapurna\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eEverest\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003cb\u003eManaslu\u003c\/b\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter the Annapurna adventure Tilman headed to Everest with—among others—\u003cb\u003eDr Charles Houston\u003c\/b\u003e. Approaching from the delights of \u003cb\u003eNamche Bazaar\u003c\/b\u003e, the party made progress up the flanks of \u003cb\u003ePumori\u003c\/b\u003e to gaze as best they could into the Western Cwm, and at the South Col and South-East Ridge approach to the summit of \u003cb\u003eEverest\u003c\/b\u003e. His observations were both optimistic and pessimistic: ‘\u003ci\u003eOne 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.\u003c\/i\u003e’ But then of the West Cwm: \u003ci\u003e‘A trench overhung by these two tremendous walls might easily become a grave for any party which pitched its camp there.\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eNepal Himalaya\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e 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: ‘\u003ci\u003eIf 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\u003c\/i\u003e.’\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vertebrate Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47154363400432,"sku":"9781909461390","price":5.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781909461390_p0.jpg?v=1763624950","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781909461390","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}