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. |
From inside the book
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... whilst Lady Haig, who is an enthusiastic gardener, has done much to beautify the already beautiful surroundings of Government House at Naini Tal. Ranikhet is a hill station situated at about 5,000 feet on a foothill ridge, which ...
... whilst Lady Haig, who is an enthusiastic gardener, has done much to beautify the already beautiful surroundings of Government House at Naini Tal. Ranikhet is a hill station situated at about 5,000 feet on a foothill ridge, which ...
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... whilst my short stay was rendered additionally pleasant by the kindness of Major Browne, the Secretary of the Club. On June 4 my arrangements were completed and eleven Dotial porters, of a race indigenous to southern Nepal, had arrived ...
... whilst my short stay was rendered additionally pleasant by the kindness of Major Browne, the Secretary of the Club. On June 4 my arrangements were completed and eleven Dotial porters, of a race indigenous to southern Nepal, had arrived ...
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... whilst the largest was stretched between two trees fully twelve feet apart and had as its spinner a spider about six inches in width from tip to tip of its hairy legs. At the village of Ghat, which is situated in the deep Nandakini ...
... whilst the largest was stretched between two trees fully twelve feet apart and had as its spinner a spider about six inches in width from tip to tip of its hairy legs. At the village of Ghat, which is situated in the deep Nandakini ...
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... whilst on the slope below was a cat mint with rosette-like silvery foliage and blue flowers, some of which were already in seed. Presently the porters appeared. They were singing, and their simple little song, echoing through the silent ...
... whilst on the slope below was a cat mint with rosette-like silvery foliage and blue flowers, some of which were already in seed. Presently the porters appeared. They were singing, and their simple little song, echoing through the silent ...
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... whilst hosts of buttercups spread a golden carpet over the dew-drenched turf. Many sheep and goats laden with grain were following the same path on their way to the upper valleys of Garhwal, where the grain is transferred to yaks and ...
... whilst hosts of buttercups spread a golden carpet over the dew-drenched turf. Many sheep and goats laden with grain were following the same path on their way to the upper valleys of Garhwal, where the grain is transferred to yaks and ...
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