Overview
Surrounded by 20,000 foot peaks which effectively seal off the mountain at their center, the Nanda Devi Sanctuary was virtually impenetrable. But in 1934 Eric Shipton and Bill Tilman made the first of their great Himalayan expeditions by forcing a way up the river gorge. In 2000, the Sanctuary was entered for one single visit. Hugh Thomson was offered a place on this unique expedition led by Eric Shipton's son, John Shipton and the great Indian mountaineer, Colonel Kumar. This journey forms the basis of the book. Woven through it are all the amazing stories that surround the mountain—a powerful blend of myths and politics.
Synopsis
Until 1934, the hidden valley of the Nanda Devi Sanctuary, on the border between India and Tibet, had never been entered by man. Surrounded by 20,000–foot peaks, which seal off Mt. Nanda Devi at their center, it was virtually impenetrable. The many early explorers who were drawn there by the idea of a “lost Eden” could only gaze down with longing. But Eric Shipton and Bill Tilman, the “terrible twins” of prewar mountaineering, solved the problem by forcing an entrance up a precipitous river gorge. Subsequent expeditions were beset by tragedy, and concern for the fragile ecology of the Sanctuary finally led the Indian government to ban all visitors. The Sanctuary was re–opened briefly in 2000 for a special millennial expedition, of which Hugh Thomson was a part. Here, he weaves the story of his own journey together with those who have gone before him. Hugh Thomson, an award–winning filmmaker, has led several expeditions to the Peruvian Andes, which he recorded in his highly acclaimed work The White Rock: An Exploration of the Inca Heartland.