The Journals (The Alpine Journal, The Climber's Club Journal, The Scottish Mountaineering Journal, The Himalayan Journal, The New Zealand Alpine Journal, Appalachia, The Canadian Alpine Journal, Mazama, The Sierra Club Bulletin)

Publication Year: 1957.

The Journals

With the ever increasing activity in world mountaineering it has become more and more difficult to keep abreast of the literature in book form, and many readers are turning to the journals with their abridged accounts of large-scale expeditions. The English language mountaineering periodicals now number more than twenty. Several of these, particularly certain ones published in Great Britain, are completely local in scope and therefore of such limited interest to most American mountaineers that their review will not be included here; a few others have remained unavailable to the reviewer. No attempt has been made to survey completely the contents of the following periodicals; accordingly, only those articles that seem to have unusual interest will be mentioned.

The Alpine Journal, May and November, 1956, London, presents a most impressive content with two achttausender expeditions heading its 432 pages. Leader J. Franco gives an account (English translation) of the French reconnaissance and ascent of Makalu in which all members of the party reached the summit over three successive days. In his description of Lhotse and Mount Everest, Swiss leader Eggler makes the understatement of the year: he writes that when the members below learned of the success on Lhotse, "We were very happy—!" Other Himalayan articles herein describe the second attempt on Masherbrum (failed at ca. 23,000 feet), an effort on Himal Chuli (stopped below 21,000 feet), success on the Muztagh Tower (two routes climbed, one by the British, and the second ascent by the French), two small Lahaul district expeditions, and one to the Rolwaling Valley, eastern Nepal. Extensive and up-to-date maps accompany all articles portraying areas not already well known. One especially interesting article (but fairly loaded with propaganda), by a Russian mountaineer, deals with climbing in the U.S.S.R. where, readers will be relieved to learn, "There is nothing new in Soviet climbing technique that we conceal from you, nothing that could be referred to as the 'secretweapon' of Soviet climbers." The A.J. is rounded out with a variety of historical and Alpine records. Photographs are numerous and well above average in quality.

The Climbers' Club Journal, 1956, London, with an informal style and a format less pretentious than the Alpine Journal, nevertheless makes enjoyable reading throughout. Several pages from Band’s Kangchenjunga diary make up the single Himalayan contribution. There is a description of the first ascent of the west face on Mount Kenya that ended in tragedy when one of the two climbers was killed by a fall on the descent, and there is a delightful narrative of "pegging" up the east face of the Grand Capucin (French Alps). Other articles cover climbing in Wales and the Alps. Illustrations are few and rather poor.

The Scottish Mountaineering Journal, 1956, Edinburgh, also features Kangchenjunga, already covered in the 1956 AAJ. The first all-female Himalayan expedition was made by three Scottish women to the Jugal Himal, mountains described by them as being "almost vulgarly sensational." The author, for some reason, wanted to cry upon reaching their 21,000-foot summit! This year’s Journal actually has little to offer mountaineers, an impression strengthened by nine pages of mathematical formulas and logic seriously attempting to prove that it might be possible to view one Scottish peak (the Cuillin) from another (the Cairngorms) 100 miles distant (both are under 4000 feet elevation).

The Himalayan Journal, 1955-1956, Oxford, although it is the current edition, describes few expeditions more recent than 1954. The newer climbs recorded (Makalu, Kangchenjunga, Lahul, Istor-o-Nal) have also been described elsewhere. The 1954 reports include the American Makalu attempt, the Italian K-2 ascent, expeditions to Cho Oyu, Dhaligiri, and Rakaposhi, and the Batura Glacier reconnaissance. Although many of these articles are reprints from other publications, this journal certainly has the best offering for those with Himalayan interests. Photographs are numerous, but their reproduction seems a bit sloppy.

The New Zealand Alpine Journal, 1955, Christchurch, devotes fortynine pages to Hillary’s 1954 Barun Valley expedition. Their ascents of Baruntse (23,570'), Pethangtse (22,080'), and many lesser peaks, narrated by several authors, make good reading. Another Himalayan venture included in this journal is the Oxford University Exploration Club trip to western Nepal. Forty-six shorter additional articles dealing with the New Zealand Alps give a good sample of the wonderful home climbing opportunities down under. "Ten Years of Snow Caving in New Zealand" is an informative thirteen pages, with photographs and sketches of latest troglodytic techniques. The N.Z.A.J. is profusely illustrated.

Appalachia, December, 1956, Boston, is international in scope and presents the most varied fare of the American journals reviewed. It always gives the impression of being well edited. "Flight to Yesterday," by K. A. Henderson, believed to be the first account of climbing in Iceland published in the U.S., contains many informative bits and makes fascinating reading. With the recent activity in the northern Selkirks, some additions to W. L. Putnam’s 1954 guide to that area which appear here should interest many. Other areas represented in this issue are the Lahul Himalaya and, of course, the Appalachian Range.

The Canadian Alpine Journal, May, 1956, Banff, as always, provides the best review for those whose interests lie to the north. Judging from this issue, however, 1955 saw less activity than usual among Canadian peaks, for the journal’s main article-content is rather low in quantity. The feature story, other than a twenty-four page résumé of club activities over the fifty years since its founding, deals with first ascents around Queen Bess, in the Coast Range. Shorter reports are given of University Peak, Alaska, Strathcona Park, Vancouver Island, and the Leaning Towers, in the Purcell Range.

Mazama, December, 1955, Portland, and The Mountaineer, December, 1955, Seattle, are both slim volumes devoted to the Pacific Northwest. Aside from a short depiction of the third ascent of Mount Bryce, south of the Columbia Icefield, by F. D. Ayres, and an account of a Lake O’Hara outing, this issue of Mazama limits itself entirely to local mountaineering. Thirty-three routes are described in a climbers’ guide to Three Sisters, Mount Washington, and Three Fingered Jack, while other short reports discuss climbing in Cascade Pass and the preservation of Glacier Peak as a wilderness area. In The Mountaineer D. Collins writes of some climbing experiences in the northern alps of Japan, and a new but small climbing area, the Big Horn Crags, in eastern Idaho, is described.

The Sierra Club Bulletin, December, 1956, San Francisco, has little to offer active mountaineers this year. Apparently 1955 was a rather inactive year for the club’s members, and the lone climbing article, on the ascent of Robson’s Wishbone Arête, has been covered in AAJ. The remainder of this journal is concerned with wilderness conservation and scenic descriptions. The marvelous photographs contained here continue to stand in a class by themselves; especially remarkable is a series of Alaskan wildlife reproductions.

William W. Dunmire