The Valley of Flowers: An outstanding Himalayan climbing seasonIn his delightful The Valley of Flowers, mountaineer Frank Smythe takes you on a botanical expedition to the Garhwal Himalaya. Alongside the author, scale the steep craggy mountains and bathe in crystal clear pools; breathe in the scented foothills of the Himalaya and their carpets of peonies, roses, rhododendrons and gentian. Experience 'the keen, biting air of the heights and the soft, scented air of the valleys'. Climber and adventurer Smythe journeys through the Himalaya's Byundar Pass, climbs the Mana Peak, descends into the Byundar Valley, and comes terrifyingly close to an encounter with The Abominable Snowman. The Valley of Flowers is a pleasurable escape for any climber, walker, mountain lover or gardener, or indeed anyone who needs reminding of the beauty and serenity of the natural world. |
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... crest is not the best viewpoint, and I camped on a rocky ridge some distance to the east, where there are no near hills to interfere with the panorama. Unfortunately clouds and haze concealed most of the peaks, but I hoped that the ...
... crest is not the best viewpoint, and I camped on a rocky ridge some distance to the east, where there are no near hills to interfere with the panorama. Unfortunately clouds and haze concealed most of the peaks, but I hoped that the ...
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... crest of Rataban. Of the gorge there was no sign, it lay concealed round the bend of the valley, so that to all intents we might have been cut off from the lower world in some exit-less valley inaccessible to men. Immediately above the ...
... crest of Rataban. Of the gorge there was no sign, it lay concealed round the bend of the valley, so that to all intents we might have been cut off from the lower world in some exit-less valley inaccessible to men. Immediately above the ...
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... crest of a minor spur. Barhal (wild sheep) had been there before us, and their tracks zigzagged aimlessly about the snow-slopes. Kicking steps, we advanced steadily, and within three hours of leaving the camp had gained the East Ridge ...
... crest of a minor spur. Barhal (wild sheep) had been there before us, and their tracks zigzagged aimlessly about the snow-slopes. Kicking steps, we advanced steadily, and within three hours of leaving the camp had gained the East Ridge ...
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... crest by scrambling up the disagreeably loose South Face, but for the sake of exercise and training I determined to attempt it. To begin with, there was little difficulty, but presently we came to a steep slab. Here I had a further ...
... crest by scrambling up the disagreeably loose South Face, but for the sake of exercise and training I determined to attempt it. To begin with, there was little difficulty, but presently we came to a steep slab. Here I had a further ...
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Contents
The Snow Col on Rataban | |
On Doing Nothing | |
The Belvedere | |
The Bhyundar Rock Wall | |
A Rock Climb | |
The Lower | |
The Abominable Snowman | |
My Finest Snow and Ice Peak | |
Second Attempt on Rataban | |
The Banke Plateau | |
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Common terms and phrases
afternoon Alaknanda River Alaknanda Valley allardias Androsace ascent attempt avalanche Badrinath Banke Glacier Base Camp beautiful beneath bergschrund Bhotia Bhyundar Pass Bhyundar Valley bloom blue boulder buttress climber climbing clouds cold colour crags crest crevasse crossed descended difficult distance Dunagiri east edge Everest expedition face feet high foot forest Garhwal gorge gully halted height hillside Himalayas hope hour ice axe icefall inches Joshimath Kamet Kangchenjunga ledge light looked Mana Peak mists monsoon moraine morning mountain Nanda Devi night Nilgiri Parbat Nilkanta nomocharis o’clock overhanging Pasang peak Peter pitch plants plateau porters possible potentillas precipices Primula rain Ranikhet Rataban reached rhododendron ridge rock rope route scrambled seemed seen shepherds Sherpa side slabs sleeping slope snow snow-slope snowfield Snowman steep step stream summit tent Tewang Tibetan torrent tracks traverse Trisul upwards Valley of Flowers village wall Wangdi weather whilst wind Zaskar Zaskar Range