Wien, 1955, 1st edition. 243 pp, 22 photos, 1 map. In German. The first ascent of Cho Oyu by the smallest team ever to do an 8000m peak first ascent; there were only three Europeans and seven Sherpas. Tichy and two others reached the summit. DJ, Near Fine. SIGNED and inscribed in English by Tichy on the half title page.
This is the account of the first ascent of Cho Oyu (8201m), the sixth highest mountain on the planet. The ascent was made in 1954 by a small, lightweight team led by Herbert Tichy (1912-1987). Cho Oyu was formerly believed to be 8153m high (seventh or eighth highest mountain) but more accurate height measurements show it is 8201m high, thus the sixth highest mountain. The summit was reached by Herbert Tichy, Pasang Dawa Lama, and Sepp Jöchler.
Tichy was an itinerate scholar with a doctorate in geology, but the bulk of his work was in geography. He travelled to the Himalaya many times as well as to other remote regions of the world (Africa, Tibet, China, Alaska), usually alone with one or two locals. Thus he learned intimate details of local cultures and traditions. He became lifelong friends with many of the local people that joined him during his travels. This type of casual but intimate experience is evident in his writing and is a big part of why this is one of the best accounts of climbing an 8000er.
