The author's first book High Himalaya Unknown Valleys covered his explorations of the Indian Himalaya between 1969 and 1991. Its success emphasised that more information was required as the interest is generated in the smaller mountains and unknown valleys. The present book continues in a similar vein. It covers expeditions and treks undertaken by the author between 1993 and 1997. It includes other writings and those lovely treks he had also done before 1969. The book encompasses almost 35 years of Himalayan travel which allows for a comparison about how it was then and how it is now. And perhaps that migh help predict what the future holds in store.
Included here are serious expeditions with Sir Chris Bonington to Panch Chuli and Rangrik Rang, the accident and rescue of Stephen Venables, climbing Manirang, exploring Spiti, climbing Lungser Kangri in Rupshu, Ladakh, and exploring passes in the Garhwal. For those less seriously inclined there are lovely treks in Kinnaur, Kumaon, Garhwal, Ladakh and Nepal. These treks and climbs are in some of the areas never heard of before, and there are new trekking suggestions to last for a long time.
It is an invaluable reference for trekkers and mountaineers. For an explorer there are suggestions about things to be done. And for an armchair mountain lover there are personal stories about climbers.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bill Aitken
Bill Aitken is Scottish by birth, a naturalized Indian by choice. He studied comparative religion at Leeds University and then gutcg-hiked to India in 1959. He has lived in Himalayan ashrams, worked as secretary to a maharani, freelanced under his middle name (Liam Mckay) and undertaken miscellaneous excursions-from Nanda Devi to Sabarimala-on an old motorbike and by stam railway. Aitken has written on travel and tourism for newspapers and magazines in India for several years and is the author of The Nanda Devi Affair, Riding the Ranges and Branch Line to Elernity among other books.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Harish Kapadia
Harish Kapadia has made a unique contribution to our knowledge of the Himalaya: as editor of the Himalayan Journal, one of the most authoritative and comprehensive records of explorative and comprehensive records of exploratory activity in the Himalaya: and through his numerous books and as a leader and organiser of countless expeditions over the year. He has written with deep knowledge about his Himalayan journeys in his 12 books and several articles that are erudite and practical, skillfully combining historical, geographical and practical guidance to increase our understanding of the region. His first visit to the Himalaya was almost 45 years ago. He has never looked back since, still trekking and climbing actively. His main contribution to Himalayan climbing has been to explore unknown areas and, in a number of cases, to open up climbing possibilities. He has personally climbed more than 30 Himalayan peaks, many of them being first ascents, and has crossed more than 130 Himalayan passes to explore different valleys. the quality of exploration and the detailed reports that he has issued have provided superb background information about these areas. He is an explorer in the true sense and has visited almost all the ranges in the Indian Himalaya in the last four decades. He was elected Honorary Member of the Alpine Club, London. He was a Vice-President of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (1997-1999) and was awarded the IMF Gold Medal in 1993. He was honoured with the Royal Geographical Society 'for contributions to geographical discovery and mountaineering in the Himalaya'. He was the first Indian to receive this award after 125 years. He was invited to several countries to lecture on his Himalayan exploits, and is a member of several organisations.
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