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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... weather improved and I supped in the calm of a perfect evening. I had no official cook. Experience has taught me that official cooks are to be avoided in the Himalayas as they are almost invariably dirty and are born 'twisters' and ...
... weather improved and I supped in the calm of a perfect evening. I had no official cook. Experience has taught me that official cooks are to be avoided in the Himalayas as they are almost invariably dirty and are born 'twisters' and ...
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... weather-beaten by countless storms. It was decaying, for to judge from its appearance it had been maltreated by lightning, but it still stretched gaunt, hard branches against the sky, an embodiment of that enduring force.
... weather-beaten by countless storms. It was decaying, for to judge from its appearance it had been maltreated by lightning, but it still stretched gaunt, hard branches against the sky, an embodiment of that enduring force.
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... weather was cloudless and the air deliciously cool. This march, I hoped, would take me to my base camp. The path lay through dense jungle and as I walked several pheasants flew up in front of me and twice I heard crashing sounds as of ...
... weather was cloudless and the air deliciously cool. This march, I hoped, would take me to my base camp. The path lay through dense jungle and as I walked several pheasants flew up in front of me and twice I heard crashing sounds as of ...
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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