Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings
Loading
FS![]()
author
Frank Smythe
Frank Smythe was an outstanding climber. In a short life – he died aged forty-nine – he was at the centre of high-altitude mountaineering development in its early years. In the lat...view moreFrank Smythe was an outstanding climber. In a short life – he died aged forty-nine – he was at the centre of high-altitude mountaineering development in its early years. In the late 1920s he pioneered two important routes up the Brenva Face of Mont Blanc, followed in the 1930s by a sequence of major Himalayan expeditions: he joined the attempt on Kangchenjunga in 1930, led the successful Kamet bid in 1931 and was a key player in the Everest attempts of 1933, 1936 and 1938. In 1937, he made fine ascents in the Garhwal in a rapid lightweight style that was very modern in concept. Smythe was the author of twenty-seven books, all immensely popular. The erudite mountain writers of his era each offer something different. Bill Tilman excelled in his dry humorous observations. Eric Shipton enthused about the mountain landscape and its exploration. Smythe gives us wonderful detail in the climbing. His tense descriptions of moments of difficulty, danger, relief and elation are compelling – and we are not spared the discomfort, fatigue and dogged struggle. He also writes movingly about nature’s more beautiful and tender face – there is no keener observer of cloud, light and colour, the onset of a thunderstorm, or a sublime valley transformed by wild flowers. There is also a strong feeling of history in his books: the superior attitudes of colonialism that, as the years rolled on, gave way to a more mellow stance and a genuine respect for his Indian and Sherpa companions. Today, his books make compelling reading: well-written and gripping tales that offer fascinating windows into the history of climbing and exploration. They are essential reading for all those interested in mountaineering and the danger and drama of those early expeditions.view less
Books by Frank Smythe
The Kangchenjunga Adventure: The 1930 Expedition to the Third Highest Mountain in the World The Valley of Flowers: An outstanding Himalayan climbing season Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsClimbs and Ski Runs: Adventures in the Alps, the Dolomites and North Wales Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKamet Conquered: The historic first ascent of a Himalayan giant Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCamp Six: The 1933 Everest Expedition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMountaineering Holiday: An Outstanding Alpine Climbing Season, 1939 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings