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This week, we explore some less well-known adventurers who also achieved mountaineering milestones in their own way not necessarily by successful ascents but by becoming pioneers in their field.
Mountains have always fascinated me and as a consequence mountaineers also intrigue me. We all recognise the famous names such as Hillary, Tenzing, Hunt and Whymper and their remarkable feats. However I have selected some less well-known adventurers who also achieved mountaineering milestones in their own way not necessarily by successful ascents but by becoming pioneers in their field.
An English art historian who dabbled in politics and developed a taste for mountaineering whilst a student at Cambridge. One of the first to explore and try to map the inaccessible Karakoram region. He was eventually knighted for his efforts and became President of the Alpine Club in later life.
A French mountaineer, who led a successful ascent of Annapurna in Nepal, one of the highest mountains in the world. Herzog was the first to climb over 8000 feet without the use of bottled oxygen. His ascent of Annapurna was a historic climb: the expedition managed to complete the whole climb in one season which was extraordinary.
A talented photographer, botanist and mountaineer, Smythe worked with John Hunt during WWII and took part in several Everest expeditions. The Kangchenjunga Adventure launched his career as a successful author and he produced nearly 30 titles. It is an account of an unsuccessful expedition to climb Kanchenjunga, the world's third highest peak, but they succeeded in ascending other peaks in the Himalayas including Jonsong Peak. The party led by G. Dyhrenfurth attempted to scale Kanchenjunga twice, but unfortunately due to avalanches could not complete the climb successfully and tragically two climbers' lives were lost. Smythe’s photography is remarkable especially considering the equipment available at the time.
A composer who worked closely with Dvorak, Sinigaglia was a keen mountaineer who became famous for his successful climbs in the Dolomites which had always been considered as second choice to the Alps. This had left many peaks unconquered some of which were actually more difficult to climb. Sinigaglia became famous as the ‘first great Italian climber in the Dolomites’, and this book is considered a classic of mountaineering literature.
Born in London, Stuck emigrated to the US in 1885 and after working as a cowboy became a priest and subsequently a missionary. He climbed Mount Rainier in Washington State, but his most famous ascent was the successful expedition to climb Mount Denali also known as Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America.
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First edition of Fraser's Himala Mountains, the finest illustrated work on the Himalayas.James Baillie Fraser (1783-1856) was the eldest son of a ...
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Rare limited edition. A fine set of the deluxe edition of a Himalayan classic, complete with all four volumes.Conway (1856–1937) developed a taste ...
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Elijah Walton's fine colour plate views of the Western Alps, including the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Monte Viso, Aosta Valley, Dent Du Midi, and The...
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Deluxe edition bound in vellum - presentation copy. the rare vellum bound deluxe edition. The full account of the Duke of Abruzzi's expedition to K...
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Scarce. Moorcroft's narrative traces the journey of the author and Trebeck from Bareilly to Bokhara in the years 1819 to 1825. En route to Bokhara...
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Large paper copy - one of 100. One of the finest books on the Caucasus. Freshfield was a former President of the Alpine Club and an honorary secret...
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With letter from the author. Shipton's scarcest and most important work with a personal letter tipped in on front pastedownThis book describes an e...
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Scarce personal reminiscences of Conway's 1892 Karakoram expedition.Eckenstein (1859 – 1921), was a member of the expedition led by Sir Martin Con...
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Karl Baedeker was head of a successful publishing business, when in 1832 he acquired the publishing house of Franz Röhling which four years earlier had published a travel guide Rheinreise von Mainz bis Cöln: Ein Handbuch für Schnellreisende by Professor...
The Royal Academy's new exhibition, In the Eye of the Storm: Modernism in Ukraine 1900-1930s, is the most comprehensive exhibition to date in the UK, celebrating a period of bold artistic experimentation. Despite profound upheaval, there was a true flourishing...
The great thing about collecting books is that they were produced as multiples giving lots of collectors a chance to own a copy. To distinguish between copies the most desirable factors are condition and provenance and for me the greatest...
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