This book tells of Ed Hillary’s next expedition after Everest 1953. The team included Charles Evans, George Lowe, Colin Todd, Da Tensing, Norman Hardie, Bill Beaven, Geoff Harrow, and 4 more Sherpas, Urkien, Kyncha, Ans Dawa, and Temba.
It book is an account of the eventful New Zealand Alpine Club expedition to the Barun Valley, which achieved its goals despite considerable difficulties. The expedition’s first objective was to explore and map as much as possible of the unknown region around the Barun Valley. This involved tough trail breaking in the dense bush and fearsome gorges of the lower valley. The second objective was to make an attempt on one or more of Baruntse (23570 ft.), Chamlung (24012 ft.) and Ama Dablam (22310 ft).
Baruntse had been Hillary’s ambition since his first sight of the mountain two years before. Its spire like peak required ice work of the highest standard. Four of the party managed to summit. George Lowe tells of the near disasters that affected this climb. Of the cornice that broke on Baruntse, of his thirty foot leap and vision of Beaven above him on the brink of the snow ridge, with the yawning cliff within an inch of his boots; and of the tense search by twilight for Todd and Harrow, returning from the ascent of this mountain. Chamlang, a great wall of avalanche swept precipices had never been closely examined but a reconnaissance was made.
Nau Lekh, the 19th peak of over 20000 feet climbed by the expedition, fell to Todd and Beaven, while Norman Hardie performed the exciting feat of a direct crossing of the Barun-Imja watershed by a route inspected several times by Shipton and others but left unattempted because of its difficulty and danger. Hillary also tells of the rescue of McFarlane from the crevasse where he had to be left until daylight, and of his own illness high in the mountains.
