Climbing and Exploration in the Karakoram Himalayas

It was the extraordinary appearance of the Karakoram glaciers, that first drew author’s attention to this region and made him desire to explore it. There were only two previous explorers of any part of the snowy regions, visited by the author and his team. They were Coloned Godwin-Austen, and Captain Young-husband. During the exploration, the author wrote every day a full account of the day’s proceedings. Frequent references to and comparisons with effects observed in the Alps and else-where will be found throughout this book. They will serve to bring before the eyes of climbers a more vivid notion of Himalayan scenery. In the matter of mountain nomenclature, Alpine and Caucasian custom has been adhered. Where a peak has a native name, the same has been used. Where a peak rises from an alp or valley with a recognised name, the same name belongs to the peak. Native names take precedence of and exclude all others. Mountains that have no names have been named by the author for the purpose of this book, applying descriptive designations to them and never the names of persons. The total result of the expedition can be estimated by the reader of this book. The length of the journey and the area of the survey can be estimated by a glance at the map. The list of altitudes measured will show the heights attained. The author and his team spent, in all, 84 days on snow or glacier; they traversed from end to end, for the first time, the three longest known glaciers in the world outside the polar regions; and climbed to the top of a peak approximately 23,000 feet high. The present volume is the literary record of their doings".