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Six books covering vivid early travels in the Indian, Tibetan and Nepalese Himalaya, and Alpine adventures in all seasons.


Climbs and Ski Runs.Smythe's early climbs and ski-mountaineering, Clogwyn Du'r Arddu probes, winter in the Oberland, Corsica ascents, climbs on the Chamonix Aiguilles and in the Dolomites, a stormy traverse of the Aig, Blanche, and finally the Red Sentinel and Route Major on the Brenva.


The Kangchenjunga Adventure. An international attempt on the world's third highest peak with an approach through Nepal (one of the earliest expeditions to enter this country). The ice avalanche and Chettan's death was, for Smythe, a shocking event. The ascent of Jonsong Peak (24,344ft) and other ascents, inspired by Erwin Schneider, offered a more appealing alternative to risky assaults on the greatest peaks.


Kamet Conquered. A title accepted reluctantly by the author who rejected the idea of ''conquest'' in mountaineering. An account of the rapid but exacting ascent of the highest peak to be climbed by 1931 and the Arwa Valley exploration.


CampSix. One of the best Everest accounts. After a tenacious build up during difficult weather a very high final camp was placed and two summit bids launched. Smythe describes his precarious solo push, where a good chance of success was lost when Shipton was unable to continue.


The Valley of Flowers. An outstanding Himalayan climbing and exploratory season, coupled with collecting high-altitude alpine plants. The original climbing pictures appearing in a later mountain photography book. With text and action photos now combined the status of this fine trip becomes clear with first ascents of Mana Peak, Deoban and Nilgiri Parbat and attempts on Rataban, Dunagiri and Nilkanta.


Mountaineering Holiday. An account of the planning, patience, humility and opportunism required to complete a successful alpine season. The book ends with a taut description of climbing Mont Blanc's Innominata Ridge, with four German climbers, in the last days before World War II.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Frank Smythe was an outstanding climber. In a short life - he died aged 49 - he was at the centre of high-altitude mountaineering development in its early years.


In the late 1920s, with T. Graham Brown, he pioneered two very important routes up the Brenva Face of Mont Blanc. There followed a sequence of major Himalayan expeditions: he joined Professor G.O. Dyhrenfurth's attempt on Kangchenjunga in 1930; he led the successful Kamet bid in 1931; he was a key player in the Everest attempts of 1933, 1936 and 1938. In 1937, in the Garhwal, he made fine ascents in a rapid lightweight style - very modern in concept.


Smythe was the author of twenty-seven books, which were immensely popular. Here six are republished, covering the highlights of his climbing between 1920 and 1939. Camp Sixand The Valley of Flowersare amongst the finest of the genre.


The erudite mountain writers of this era each offer something different. Tilman excelled in his dry humorous observations. Shipton enthused about the mountain landscape and its exploration. Smythe gives us wonderful detail in the climbing. His tense descriptions of moments of difficulty, danger, relief and elation are compelling, neither are we spared the discomfort, fatigue and dogged struggle. He also writes movingly about nature's more beautiful and tender face - there is no keener observer of cloud, light and colour, the onset of a thunderstorm, or a sublime valley transformed by wild
flowers.


There is also a strong feeling of history in his books: the superior attitudes of colonialism that, as the years rolled on, gave way to a more mellow stance and a very genuine respect for his Indian and Sherpa companions; a wariness of fascist influences threatening to degrade climbing during the thirties.


Aspects of his writing have been found too romantic, too ''spiritual'' - views which may reflect a post-war cynicism. For Smythe the mountains were such a powerful experience that he constantly sought more profound ways of conveying his impressions. These books represent his finest work. They contain gripping adventures, a rich sense of period, and a thread of timeless mountaineering good sense.

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