[Yossarian]

I'm working on a new book project about explorers, and would be very keen to any thoughts / opinions about both exploratory mountaineers and explorers in general that you guys hold in high regard. It's definitely the pioneer types I'm after - people who discovered and explored areas, rather than those who came afterwards to finish off what others started.

I've developed a mini obsession with the Duke of the Abruzzi - I knew about his exploits on K2, but wasn't aware of his forays towards the North Pole and the mountains of Uganda.

On a similar note, if there are any books on these subjects that you particularly recommend, I would love to hear them!

[jwi]

Explorers in general: Amundsen and Nansen. Plenty of their books are available in English, scans are easy to find (Copyright has expired)

[andy popp]

Shipton and Tilman. Jim Perrin wrote a joint biography and they both wrote plenty themselves. Diadem/Mountaineers Books produced excellent collections of their various mountain-travel-sailing books.

[SA Chris]

Shipton and Tilman.

Loads of Tilman books here

https://www.v-publishing.co.uk/books/categories/the-tilman-series.html

Eric Newby as well.

[Muenchener]

Shipton's books, Tilman's mountaineering books (haven't read the saling ones) and Jim Perrin's book about them are all absolutely excellent must-reads.

There must be some epic tales from the same era in Canada & Alaska too - huge treks with no porters or planes, just humungous rucksacks. And grizzlies. And mossies the size of helicopters. Don't know who wrote about it though.

[tregiffian]

Would the Sourdoughs qualify?

[fried]

A short walk in the Hindu Kush by Newby. Love that understatedness of the era, a far cry from    #everyonesaheronow.

[SA Chris]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004YE5GES/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

I think this was recommended on here ages back, well worth reading. Describes the incredible hardship these guys had to endure. Unbelievable suffering.

[lagerstarfish]

not quite what you asked, but I think I remember reading that both Edward Whymper and Walter Bonatti took up exploring after they packed in stumbling heroically around mountains (not together, obvs) - I know nothing about their adventures after climbing

[SA Chris]

The extended version of Mountains of my Life covers some of his exploring. TBH it all seems a bit sedate compared to his climbing exploits.

[jwi]

I like this dig at other polar explorers:

I may say that this is the greatest factor—the way in which the expedition is equipped—the way in which every difficulty is foreseen, and precautions taken for meeting or avoiding it. Victory awaits him who has everything in order—luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck.

[Yossarian]

You guys have delivered some great suggestions - thank you!

The Shipton / Tilman stuff is something I've always meant to read, but never got round to. I will investigate immediately.

I met Eric Newby in the early 90s - a most self-effacing fellow.

Good call re the Alaska / Canada pioneering. I need to get some American stuff in there so it doesn't end up to Eurocentric.

Some of the initial imagery is up on my Instagram - http://instagram.com/

The photography on the Abruzzi K2 expedition is quite amazing - I think the RGS have some stuff in their archive and going to take a look soon.

[andy popp]

I met Eric Newby in the early 90s - a most self-effacing fellow.

Wad tick!

On self-effacement, Tilman wrote of the moment he summited Nanda Devi with Noel Odell in 1936: "I believe we so far forgot ourselves as to shake hands on it."

This might be most English thing ever said.

[Muenchener]

He was probably being deliberately, er, wry.

[Yossarian]

I was going to say that I was probably totally un-star struck, but if I recall correctly I was in fact extremely enthusiastic, but vaguely remember something about desperately trying to explain the significance of hard sport climbing, which completely befuddled him. I was 15 I think...

[andy popp]

He was probably being deliberately, er, wry.

No doubt, but then again, thinking being a bit wry is the appropriate response to being stood on the highest peak ever climbed is itself incredibly English.

Anyway, I just looked him up and he was born in Wallasey of all places. I wonder if ever went to the Breck?

[Yossarian]

Jim Perrin's Shipton & Tilman arrived today.

They were hardcore...

[Yossarian]

Incidentally, one of the other subjects I'm working on is Gertrude Bell, and there's a brilliant new documentary about her, based on archive film with various acted interviews and Tilda Swinton reading extracts from her memoirs. She was fairly hardcore too...

[Muenchener]

I wonder if ever went to the Breck?

I wondered that too. Imagine: highest peak ever climbed *and* Stevie's Dyno