High Mountain Peaks in China—Newly Opened to Foreigners. Chinese Mountaineering Association. The People’s Sports Publishing House of China and The Tokyo Shimbun Publishing Bureau of Japan, 1981. 45 pages in English and 151 in Japanese, black and white and color photographs, maps. $17.50.

The color photographs and the text present the most valuable information in English about Chinese mountaineering and Chinese mountains open to foreign climbers in 1981. (We understand that there may be minor additions in 1982.) The Japanese text seems to be an expanded version of the same material.

The opening article on “Mountaineering in China” is written by Shi Zhanchun, Vice-President of the Chinese Mountaineering Association and a new Honorary Member of The American Alpine Club. Twenty-four articles follow: eight concern Qomolangma (Everest), four Xixabangma (Gosainthan), two Kongur and Muztagata, two Bogda (in the Tienshan), two Anyêmaqên, four Gongga (Minya Konka); one is about Chinese mountaineering equipment and another concerns the “Tentative Regulations for Foreign Mountaineering Groups.”

Shi Zhanchun tells us that the Chinese Mountaineering Association was organized in 1958 with the policy of “making mountaineering serve the economic construction, national defense and high-altitude scientific investigation.” He briefly tells of Chinese ascents of Qomolangma and Xixabangma and of the scientific work done on these peaks in collaboration with the climbers. He also praises the world altitude records for women set on Muztagata and Kongur Tiûbie (7595 meters) in 1959 and 1961 and on Everest (8848 meters) in 1975.

The other articles describe geographical areas, nearby cities, routes of access, scientific studies, snow-line altitudes and routes on the eight mountains. One of the more interesting items is by Wang Fuzhou, one of the three Chinese climbers to make the first ascent of Everest from the north in 1960. He tells of the crisis at the Second Step, how they scaled it after Qu Yinhua took off his shoes and socks and climbed the last part barefoot, and of their continuing to the summit by starlight. Of necessity, all the articles are very compressed and factual, but they provide valuable information for those interested in Chinese mountains or in mountaineering in China.

Robert H. Bates