London, 1932, 1st edition. 420 pp, 59 b/w plates and 2 full page maps, one folding map at the end. Hardcover with no dust jacket. Fine condition overall. No major flaws, wear or soiling. Also inserted is a short obituary of Smythe in 1949.
Smythe's ascent of Kamet was the highest peak climbed at the time. It was the best climb of his career.
Frank Sydney Smythe was an extremely gifted and well-travelled mountaineer who wrote many very popular books about mountaineering during the first half of the last century. He achieved prominence in mountaineering circles following two impressive seasons in the Alps in 1927 and 1928. He subsequently climbed extensively in the Himalayas.
In 1931 Frank Smythe and other members of the expedition climbed Kamet in the Himalayas which at 25,442 feet was the highest mountain then climbed. Following that success he was invited to join the 1933 British Mount Everest Expedition during which he climbed to 28,200 feet on the north side of the mountain without oxygen.
It was on this 1933 Everest expedition that Irvine's ice axe was discovered and in a way was responsible for the feverish speculation as to whether they did summit and also the constant searches that have been made for Mallory’s body and now Sandy Irvine’s.
Kamet Conquered was published by Gollancz in 1932. Kamet was the then highest mountain climbed. The summit was reached only two weeks after arrival in the base camp but this is because the long approach on foot probably allowed for good acclimatization. For five years, it remained the highest mountain climbed until Nanda Devi (7816 m) was reached by a British-American expedition. The mountain since then has for large periods of time been closed to foreigners because it is located very close to the Tibetan border and only Indian military expeditions have been allowed there and who rarely publish much by way of detailed reports.
Smythe's book remains the best reading about Kamet. It is also a marvelous book not only because of Smythe’s wonderful, if occasionally flowery writing, but he is acknowledged as one of the great mountain photographers and the book is illustrated with 61 of his photos. The fold out expedition map is also undamaged and remains at the end of the book.
