Postwar Climbing Career Highlights
- 1946 Eastern Karakorams, reconnaissance (recce) of the Saser Kangri massif. First ascent of Lookout Peak, c. 20,150 feet (6,140 m), and Stundok Peak, c. 20,012 feet (6,100 m). His recce report was the basis on which the successful 1973 Indian expedition to Saser Kangri I, 7672 metres / 25170 feet, opted for a change of approach route from West to East that turned out to be the key to success.
- 1950 The most glorious chapter in Roberts' mountaineering career began with the opening up of Nepal in the 1950s. Roberts was asked to join a team led by Bill Tilman to the Annapurna massif in 1950. The expedition was 'ill-organised and badly led' and failed to climb even Annapurna IV, but Roberts saw a lot of the Nepalese mountainscape, seen earlier by only very few people like Toni Hagen and Oleg Polunin. The vale of Pokhara came as an Elysian discovery to Roberts. The same year saw the opening of the successful campaign against the 8000 metre peaks with the French achieving the ascent of Annapurna I.
- 1953 Roberts hoped to be invited to join the 1953 Everest team, but found his hopes fulfilled in a disappointing fashion, being asked to organise the transport of oxygen cylinders to Base Camp. Allowed to depart thereafter, Roberts put the time to good use, exploring three valleys lying South and South-west of Everest, and making the first ascent of Mera, 6654(6456?) metres on 20 May 1953 with Sen Tensing.
- 1954 First ascent of Putha Hiunchuli, 7246 metres in the Dhaulagiri group with Ang Nyima on Nov.11 during recce of the massif with G. Lorimer.
- 1956 Recce of Machapuchare
- 1957 Leader of expedition to Machapuchare (The Fishes' Tail), 6993 metres, the only officially recorded attempt. The summit team stopped some 150 feet (46 m) below the top due to lack of time, so the peak is generally regarded as unclimbed. No further expeditions are allowed as this superbly beautiful peak is considered holy. Fluted Peak (21800 ft) was first climbed by this expedition.
- 1960 Leader, Annapurna II, 7937 metres, expedition: first ascent achieved. This was Chris Bonington's first major Himalayan summit.
- 1962 Leader, Dhaulagiri IV, 7660 metres, expedition: reached 6400 metres on masking peak Dhaulagiri VI.
- 1963 Transport Officer, American Mount Everest Expedition
- 1965 Joint Leader, Dhaulagiri IV expedition
- 1971 Joint leader with N.G. Dyhrenfurth of the International Everest Expedition that ended in disaster and the death of Indian member H.V. Bahuguna on the West Ridge.
In 1995 he was given the Back Award (instituted 1888) by the Royal Geographic Society.
Roberts founded the first trekking and mountaineering outfit Mountain Travel Nepal in 1964 to offer the opportunity for well-heeled travellers to enjoy the experience of trekking or climbing in Nepal without problems. His trained Gurkha/Sherpa teams took care of transportation, camping and local liaison, leaving trekkers free to enjoy the thrills. The first trek he handled was one by three elderly ladies to Everest Base Camp in 1965. He is known and revered as "the father of trekking in Nepal".
He acted as bird-collector for the British Museum during the 1950 expedition, and maintained an aviary in Pokhara where he bred pheasants. He died at Pokhara on November 1, 1997.
Read more about this topic: J. O. M. Roberts
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