Reviews

The Kangchenjunga Adventure: by F. S. Smythe, (Victor Gollanz Ld., 1930, 464 pp., 16s. net). It is not always that iiisl rate climbing powers are found united with the literary gift of being able to describe one’s climbing exploits forcefully, accurately, and picturesquely, but in this work our distinguished member, Mr. Smytlie, has given us a brilliant example of how it can be done. His story is one of a campaign more than of a climb, and besides his thrilling narrative of the attempt on the mountain, Mr. Smythe is all the time: studying the philosophy of Himalayan climbing:—the ” bandabast” of porters and provisions, of tents and equipments, no less than the psychology and physiology of climbing at over 20,000 feet. That he learnt his craft well his more recent conquest of Kamet is evidence. Climbers, and even walkers, may learn something from his remarks on the ” rhythm ” of climbing.

The peaks of the Himalayas are of more recent origin geologically than those of the Alps, and their ridges and pinnacles are rougher and more inaccessible. Some, like the graceful Siniolchum, seem to be inaccessible pyramids of snow and ice ; while Kangchenjunga, in addition to its forbidding ice cliffs, is protected by a constant succession of avalanches. The attempts on the Northern ridge by the Bavarian party in 1929, and again last year, were defeated after almost incredible exertions by terribly bad weather.

Mr. Smythe, after a full and generous description of the 1929 ex­pedition, goes on to describe that of Dr. Dyhrenfurth, in which he was one of three English members. His story leads up to a climax, when the party who were trying to find a practicable route up the great ice wall were nearly annihilated by the fall of a cliff of ice, and one of the best of their porters was killed. After this an attempt was made on the North-west Ridge, but this was hopeless as a route up the mountain, being just possible for skilled mountaineers with no cares of time, weather, or provisions, but quite out of the question for loaded porters. It is this question of making a route for those who carrv the loads which is ever before the Himalayan climber.

After these two desperate attempts it came as a relief to climb the Ramthang Peak (23,000 feet) and Mr. Smythe had even the delight of ski-running. Rather than return empty-handed, the Jonsong La was crossed and the Jonsong Peak (24,344 feet) ascended. Mr. Smythe points out that there are many fine peaks over 20,000 feet in this corner of the Himalayas which would afford fine climbing for what he calls ” ordinary mountaineering parties,” who would be content to leave out the more or less inaccessible giants. We shall no doubt hear more of these from the climbers of the Himalayan Club.

To sum up, Mr. Smythe has written a fine book about a fine expedi­tion. There is humour as well as serious appreciation of the mountain and a full recognition of the work of Ins companions.    Auv criticism of methods is skilfully concealed and full justice done to what was a very considerable enterprise which involved the use of 400 porters and <>J tons of goods, the latter under the able supervision of Frau Dyhren-Eurth.—J.J.B.

The Hills Of Peace : by Lawrence Pilkington. (1930, Long­mans, Green & Co., 48 pp.). This little book the author has plainly sent us that we might read his charming tribute to W. Cecil Slingsby. This we have reprinted under In Memoriam on page 148.

These are the poems of a man to whom the great hills have been a joy and a consolation. Amid the questionings of life and struggle we come across a few verses called “Aspiration,” and a longer poem, ” Moods and Mountains,” in four parts—Grampians, Coolins, Connc-mara, and the Alps, where the pictures are those of personal experience of glorious days.    All mountaineers will read the latter poem with pleasure.

KINDRED CLUB JOURNALS.—The Editor, on behalf of the Club, thanks all the kindred clubs who exchange with us, for their courtesy and for the extremely interesting reading they turn out. It is beyond his power to review them all seriously, and he has so far failed to dis­cover any member who will undertake the task.

He proposes simply to use such notes as he has made, and to avoid, if he can, meticulous criticism such as is properly applied to commercial publications produced by whole-time editors. Much should be forgiven to volunteer editors, busily engaged at other jobs ; covers will come off some numbers, the price will appear where the title should, the wrong date will go on appearing on the front, the index or the advertise­ments or the contents or the numbering will get mixed up, the address of the club cannot be found, and so on. In fact, the amateur editor does well if he can keep the spelling errors down, and the accents, particularly the circumflex, attached to the right words. The sooner the European languages agree on some unity of alphabet, and the abolition of accents, the better for future generations. Rut think of the unemployment this would cause !

ALPINE JOURNAL (May and Nov., 10s. 6d.).—For a guinea a year the subscriber gets over 400 pages of the Alpine news of the world.

But if these thick numbers make you think the pace of Alpine events is ever so much hotter, remember that, when twenty-five years ago they cost a half-crown each, they appeared quarterly and totalled 300 pages to the year.

Beginning with the November number of 1930, the great events described are the two Kangchenj unga attacks and the ascent of Petermann Peak, Greenland. Very difficult rock climbing by guides on the Hornli of the Eiger is recorded, and the conquest of the E. Ridge of the Grand Teton (Wyoming).

In the May Number, 1931, the notable event included is the ascent of Mt. Bora, 16,200 feet, by Allen Carpe’s party, after a strenuous struggle over trackless country and with sledge transport on the snows, characteristic of Alaskan mountain exploration. From the summit they saw eight of the thirteen North American mountains over [6,000 feet. Ten of these peaks are in Alaska, three in Mexico, and the foul highest are—Mt. McKinley, 20,300 feet ; Mt. Logan, 19,850 feel ; Orizaba, 18,200 feet;  Mt. St. Elias, 18,000 feet.

Sgr. Benedetti describes his ascent of the Furggen ridge of the Matterhorn, and Prof. Graham-Brown his new ascents of ice faces in the Bernina group and the ascent of the Breithorn Younggrat, led by that great guide Graven,.

The remarkable type of expedition now attempted by the most brilliant Alpine guides is shown by Miss Fitzgerald’s amazing account of her traverse of the entire Grandes Jorasses ridge, descending to the Col des Hirondelles and thence to the Leschaux hut at 1.30 a.m. Nor must we omit Shipton’s traverse of the twin peaks of Kenya, nor Porter’s paper from the New Zealand Alps with its pictures of magnifi­cent ridges.

The last number (Nov., 1931) contains Smythe’s report of the Kamet campaign, and Allen Carpe’s of his ascent of Mt. Fairweather, a peak of the Mt. Blanc order, but within 20 miles of the Alaskan coast. Joseph Georges and Couttet receive the credit of their magnificent leads, on the Dent Blanche North Ridge, and on the Chamonix Aiguilles.

HIMALAYAN JOURNAL, Vol. II., 1930, and Vol. III., 1931. (W. Thacker &- Co., pp. 206 and pp. 172, 8s.).—In Vol. II. Col. Tobin gives a most interesting summary of the climbing which has been done in the Sikkim groups, and Herr Bauer a graphic account in eight pages of the 1929 Bavarian Kangchenjunga expedition.

The Shyok Flood of 1929 was the sequel to the formation of the dam described in Vol. I. A fissure opened obliquely in the glacier dam, almost from bank to bank, long before the water got near the top. Details are given of the behaviour of the mass of water on its journey of hundreds of miles to the plains. Major Mason anticipated a closing up of the glacier and another flood in 1931.

General Bruce revives the memory of the Nanga Parbat expedition of 1895 by writing in Vol. III. on ” The Passing of Mummery,” and Dr. Dyhrenfurth describes his attempt on Kangchenjunga.

Madame Visser-Hooft summarises the work in 1929 of herself and her husband on the Siachen glacier, in the region E. & N.E. of the Karakoram Pass, and so to Yarkand. There are four articles with information for travellers, a climbing article from the Sutlej basin, another on Winter and Ski-ing in Kashmir.

Both volumes give much space to valuable reviews. It is astonishing to learn that the Turfan Depression (E. end of Tienshan) is 1,000 feci below sea level, though in the far interior of Asia. We note also that the Himalaya is a range of new uplift of very ancient rocks, and thai Gaurisankar and Everest are still confused though 30 miles apart.

RUCKSACK CLUB JOURNAL, Vol. VII., No. i.—Ever since the famous serial we expect something startling, but this time find our­selves put off with a piece of fiction worked up no doubt from an actual incident. However we discover a fine portrait of Sale in the Rucksack Portrait Gallery, and an account of an Alpine Meet by Burton which leaves us completely winded. Perhaps Rucksack men take a holiday at home before going out. Anyhow this Meet went up the Piz Morteratsch the first day, up the Bianco Ridge and over Piz Bernina the second day, to the I’orno Hut on the third, 15J hours to Disgrazia and back on the fourth, some of it up the Largo on the fifth. Even the weather could not stand this pace !

Entwistlc’s interesting article on a walk across Lozere once more drives home that more Englishmen should try to see the limestone Gausses and the wonderful Gorges of the Tarn.

The Editor writes amusingly on trekking with bovs, and Holland again recalls some of his climbing experiences. We can assure him that if he saw an alleinganger on the Langkofel traverse, the man was not a spook.

SCOTTISH MOUNTAINEERING CLUB JOURNAL, Vol. 19, Nos. 109-112.—The loss to the S.M.C., and to mountaineers generally, of the charming personality of George Sang is great and lasting. The same volume contains both his last article, on the Mam Soul group, and a memoir of him.

It is good to find the Teallachs mentioned again, and news of Larachantivore. ” Twelve Days at the Club Hut ” seems to show-that the really effective stringing with routes of the Ben Nevis crags has begun. Bell has contributed, too, a really stiff new climb on Bidean nam Bian.

But, Mr. Editor, is not Unna’s ” Ross and Sutherland ” a crime against future readers ? Think of the hundreds who will find it in the index, and thank you for making them rake out a dusty volume.

Murray Lawson, in reviewing our Journal, made a really savage attack on pot-holing. An invitation to come to Gaping Ghyll was at once dispatched by the President, with a suspicion that perhaps this was a new way to procure one, but without effect.

CAIRNGORM JOURNAL (twice a year), Nos. 67-71, 1929-31.— As a rule the articles in the Journal of the Aberdeen club deal with Eastern Highlands only, but in No. 68 there is a most interesting article on the Moor of Rannoch. From it we learn that the piece of ancient forest through which the railway passes is not being naturally regenerated, as the sheep and the deer destroy the seedlings. Remem­bering the magnificent stretch of ancient forest on Loch Maree, con­taining the most perfect trees we have ever seen, it seems to us a great pity that some society does not make a move to have Crannach Wood effectively fenced, ‘there is, we believe, still sufficient shelter to enable young trees to get up in places.

Some new rock climbs on Lochnagar and Sgoran Dubh are described in Nos. 67 and 69, and later reports show that Lochnagar is being well worked over.

The proposal for a Cairngorm National Park has taken a definite form, the Town Council of Aberdeen having prepared a report which estimates the purchase price of 282 sq. miles at /354,00c, and of an area reduced to 168 sq. miles at /i95,ooo.

A most sporting walk by two ladies from Braemar to Rannoch and over Corryarrick Pass and the Larig back to Braemar is recorded in No. 71, the biggest day, from Kinloch Rannoch, finishing with the eleven miles of trackless moor from Rannoch station to Kingshouse.

Generally speaking the excursions show to what an amazing extent motors have made accessible areas which once demanded a holiday of several days, such as the Ben Lawers Group.

ANNUAL OF MOUNTAIN CLUB OF SOUTH AFRICA for 1930, No. 30 (Galvin and Sales, Capetown, 2s. 6d.).– A record of much rock climbing, there being four papers on ‘fable Mountain routes alone.

The clearest picture we have ever imagined of South African mountain country is to be found in the reading of the first article, ” Bughunting in the Swartbergen,” by F Berrisford, with its delightful description of motoring on rough tracks over passes and over the Karoo, and of climbing in the broken country.

Six articles are devoted to the Cedarbergen. How the stiff climbs described compare with the Dolomites we don’t know, but the photo­graphs certainly give the impression of desperate exposure. Mountain­eering is evidently opening out some corners of the wilderness. We read of two huts being built and a ski-ing ground discovered. There are evidently scores of peaks to be bagged, but in South Africa, as elsewhere, holidays are few and far between.

GRITSTONE CLUB JOURNAL, Vol. IV., No. 1.—One interesting-article in this private club record recounts Robinson’s experiences in Sutherland and Ross ‘this evidence added to that of many others is that the keepers in the Kinlochewe district are peculiarly pleasant and inoffensive.   He ascribes this to the small size of the forests.

An important narrative is that of the conquest of Swinslo link’. The writer is quite severe on the journalistic performances of the new pot-hole clubs.

SPELUNCA (Annee 1930—Bulletin de  Spéléo-Club de France). The work of the Société de Spéléologie stopped in [914, and the soi iety was dissolved.   At Montpellier in 1930 it was decided In form a cave exploration club, but the interest aroused was such that its scope was enlarged, and in March, 1930, tiie Spéléo-Club de France was launched.

In April, 1931, there were sixty members, the first names being Martel, Joly, Degrully, Pouget, Casteret, Fournier.

Martel opens with an article on the revival of ” Spéeologie,” his shortened term for the subject, and on the work going on in various countries. He is obviously extremely sceptical as to the figures for the widely boomed Carlsbab Cave (New Mexico). The immense areas drained by the risings in the Jurassic of France give great practical importance to speology there from the point of view of water supply. Our limestone clints are mere trifles in area.

Under the title of ” Subterranean Streams of Izaut,” Casteret relates a most astounding solitary exploration, first by swimming, then bv canoe, followed by climbing and wading hundreds of yards in bathing costume with bare feet, to a distance of 1 kilometre. He has explored five of these singular watercourses.

Jolv describes numerous pot-holes requiring considerable ladder climbs, near Montpellier and l’Herault apparently, and records roots at 40 metres. Unfortunately no indication is given of the tackle or the methods used. These pot-holes are of the Newby Moss type, and as far as I can make out only two men descend.

BRITISH SKI YEAR BOOK (1931).—This volume of 350 pages is published in an edition of many thousands and deals as completely as ever with the events of the year.

Mr. Lunn is frankly disappointed with the position of British ski-mountaineering. As we have said before, we do not see flow this is to be altered. The keenest mountaineers are normally professional men, only a fraction are assistant schoolmasters. Schoolmasters have their vacations within fixed dates ; other professional men cannot be expected to take their long holiday in the winter, and if they did, it would be extremely difficult to arrange that other guideless climbers did the same. Then, too, a first long holiday must be devoted to learning to ski.

Don Munday’s expeditions in British Columbia seem to be the most important recorded. Besides many Alpine articles there is information about ski-ing in Jugo-Slavia and Australia.

Important full particulars are given of the loss of four lives in the forest, a mile from the Riederfurka (Brigue). The Concordia Hut is a death trap in winter bad weather. Forced at last to risk it, this party of eight left the Aletsch glacier at the right place and were overwhelmed on gentle slopes among trees by a mass of loose snow, which moved only a short distance. So bad was the storm that the survivors could not even reach the hotel next day, but they had ample fuel in easy reach. This is the second, if not the third, grave disaster in retreating from the Concordia and shows that the only safe course is to force a way up to the Jungfraujoch.