Kangchenjunga - Background Reading

Background Reading

Some titles are no longer in print but are easily locatable on the Internet.

• Joseph Dalton Hooker Himalayan Journals, 1855. Assistant-director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
• Maj Laurence Waddell, Among The Himalayas, 1899; Travels in Sikkim. Book includes the exploration of the south of Kangchenjunga.
• Aleister Crowley The Confessions of Aleister Crowley, Chapters 51, 52 & 53, Tells of the 1905 Kangchenjunga Expedition by he and Dr. Jacot-Guillarmod.
• Douglas Freshfield Round Kangchenjunga - A Narrative of Mountain Travel and Exploration, published by Edward Arnold 1903 (Publisher to the H.M. India Office).
• Paul Bauer Himalayan Campaign (Blackwell, 1937) is the story of Bauer’s two attempts in 1929 and 1931, republished as Kangchenjunga Challenge (William Kimber, 1955).
• Paul Bauer The German Attack on Kangchenjunga, The Himalayan Journal, 1930 Vol. II.
• Lieut. Col. H.W. Tobin Exploration and Climbing in The Sikkim Himalaya The Himalayan Journal, April 1930 Vol. II. Provides the early exploration and climbing attempts on Kangchenjunga.
• F.S. Smythe The Kangchenjunga Adventure, 1930 to 1931. Victor Gollancz, Ltd. Smythe was the team member responsible for writing and sending the dispatches to The Statesman in Calcutta, (Mr. Alfred Watson Editor), who transmitted the dispatches to The Times (editors Deakin & Bogaerde), during the expedition of 1930 * example.
• Prof. G.O. Dyhrenfurth The International Himlayan Expedition, 1930, The Himalayan Journal, April 1931, Vol. III. Details their attempt on Kangchenjunga.
• H.W. Tilman The ascent of Nanda Devi, June 7, 1937,Cambridge University Press. Relates the story of their intention to climb Kangchenjunga.
• Irving, R. L. G., Ten Great Mountains (London, J. M. Dent & Sons, 1940)
• John Angelo Jackson More than Mountains 1955. Book containing data on the 1954 Kangchenjunga reconnaissance. Jackson was also a team member of the 1st ascent of Kangchenjunga in 1955, also relates the Daily Mail "Abominable Snowman" or Yeti Expedition, when the first trek from Everest to Kangchenjunga was accomplished * . Relevant pages 97 onwards with two detailed maps.
• Charles Evans Kangchenjunga The Untrodden Peak, Hodder & Stoughton, Leader of the 1955 expedition. Principal of the University College of North Wales, Bangor. Foreword by His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, K.G.
• Joe Brown, The Hard Years, tells his version of the first ascent of Kangchenjunga in 1955.
• Colonel Narinder Kumar, Kangchenjunga: First ascent from the north-east spur, 1978, Vision books. Includes the second ever ascent of Kangchenjunga and the first from the North-East Spur on the Indian side of the mountain. See also Himalayan Journal Vol. 36 and 50th Anniversary Edition
• Peter Boardman, Doug Scott, Sacred Summits – A Climber's Year, 1982; Includes the 1979 ascent of Kangchenjunga with Joe Tasker and Doug Scott. Also in The Himalayan Journal Vol 36.
• John Angelo Jackson Adventure Travels in the Himalaya Indus Publishing 2005, Recounts in more detail the first ascent of Kangchenjunga.
• Simon Pierse, Kangchenjunga: Imaging a Himalayan Mountain, University of Wales, School of Art Press, 2005. ISBN 978-1-899095-22-3. An anthology of word and image published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the first ascents of Kangchenjunga. Well illustrated with reproductions of paintings, prints and photographs describing the climbing history and cultural significance of the mountain. Preface by George Band.

The above Himalayan Journal References were all also reproduced in the "50th Anniversary of the First Ascent of Kangchenjunga" The himalayan Club, Kollkata Section 2005.

• Khangchendzonga: Sacred Summit, a book by Pema Wangchuk and Mita Zulca published from Sikkim. The book details the stories and legends celebrated by the communities living in the Kangchenjunga's shadow, goes over the exploits of the early explorers and mountaineers. Chapters cover what Khangchendzonga means to Buddhism, mapping, early explorers, Alexander Kellas, early expeditions, the first ascent in 1955, the Indian Army ascent (1977), the first British ascent (1979), women climbers, the Tiger climbers, the yeti, and more. Profusely illustrated with many period photos.