Peking, 1975, 1st edition. 120 pp, many color illustrations. English text. Account of the Chinese 1975 ascent of Everest from the north. Tall softcover. Fine. It was partly from the photographs in this book that Jochen Hemmleb was able to figure out where George Mallory's body was laying on Everest.
This is mainly a photo account of the second successful ascent of the North Ridge of Mount Everest, the route that George Leigh Mallory, Frank Smythe, Eric Shipton and other British Everest pioneers had attempted so many times. All the captions and text are in english.
This expedition is notable for the success of the Tibetan woman, Phantog. She became the second woman ever to climb to the top of Mount Everest. This is also the expedition that placed and fixed the ladder on the Second Step that has subsequently helped many expeditions climb the route. Nine climbers succeeded in reaching the summit on this 1975 expedition that was organized and funded by the Chinese government: 8 Tibetans and 1 Chinese.
The book is good for the photos, mainly the ones from high on the route. As for the text, it's mostly pro-Chinese Communist propaganda. Some of the photos are absurd, particularly the one showing a Tibetan swearing in as a new member of the Communist Party at 8200 meters. Also note the photo of the Liberation Army building a road to Everest. There's a rumour going around that there are plans for a tunnelled railway to the top of Everest replete with several viewing windows and oxygen bars. The book concludes with a section on the geology of Tibet near Mt Everest, and a chapter on the flowers found in the region.
