A new edition, carefully revised and condensed.

The historical archives of Elizabeth Hawley-for more than 40 years the meticulous chronicler of mountaineering expeditions in Nepal-are now available on this searchable CD.

In the Kumaon region of the Himalayas, the mountains are believed to be Dev Bhoomi the abode of the gods. In a little village here, under the shadow of Trishul and Nanda Devi, Pamela Chatterjee has found a home, after decades spent in the big cities of the plains. She lives among the villagers as one of them, sharing their daily lives. Here, farmers toil in the fields and hope that the weather is kind to them; women are isolated during their monthly unclean period ; and young brides move to a different village, where they spend more time under the watchful eyes of their mothers-in-law than with their husbands. Yet, as the seasons change from the long spring straight to the monsoons and then the bitterly cold winter, some old beliefs make way for new ones. Farmers agree to put aside ancient cures and adopt new scientific procedures to counter the rapidly spreading foot-and-mouth disease in their livestock, older women struggle with pens as their children show them how to sign their names, and people come together to lay pipes to bring water to an isolated hamlet. Full of many such memorable vignettes, Listen to the Mountains blends observations of the flora and fauna with descriptions of the culture, traditions and rituals of Kumaon, and is enriched by the wonderfully intimate portrayals of the local people. Adding to the charm of the book are Catherine Addor-Confino s brilliant illustrations.

First published in 1929, The Himalayan Journal is one of the oldest mountaineering journals of the world. Including contributions from some of the best writers and climbers active in the range, the journal covers climbing, explorations, scientific observations, and almost all aspects related to the Himalaya.

* Portrays a history of 90 years of Himalayan climbing and exploration, using the best possible sketch maps from the Himalayan JournalThe last 90 years have been a glorious period in Himalayan exploration. As explorers from across the globe have attempted to discover the Himalaya, the Himalayan Club has played a pioneering role in chronicling their expeditions for posterity. The accompanying maps, from the Himalayan Journal, are a historical treasure capturing various facets of exploration over time. Legendary explorations like Shipton and Tilman's route into Nanda Devi Sanctuary, Maurice Herzog's Annapurna ascent - the first to scale an 8,000m peak - and Sir Chris Bonington's exploring routes to Menluntse continue to arouse fascination to this day.The last decade or two have witnessed fascinating explorations - trails to complete the century-old quest to trace the route of the mighty Brahmaputra river by Harish Kapadia, exploring the unknown Kunzang valley by Group Capt. V.K. Sashindran, ascents and accident on Panch Chuli by A.V. Saunders and an ascent of Nilkanth by the west ridge by Martin Moran and many others. With some of the routes and climbs documented here yet to be repeated, this book is a tribute to the rich history of exploration and a treasure trove for aficionados. Contents: Kashmir - East Karakoram; Karakoram; Himachal Pradesh; Uttarakhand; Nepal - Tibet; Sikkim - Arunachal Pradesh - Bhutan.

Religion has long been a powerful cultural, social, and political force in the Himalaya. Increased economic and cultural flows, growth in tourism, and new forms of governance and media, however, have brought significant changes to the religious traditions of the region in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. This book presents detailed case studies of lived religion in the Himalaya in this context of rapid change to offer intra-regional perspectives on the ways in which lived religions are being re-configured or re-imagined. Based on original fieldwork, this book documents understudied forms of religion in the region and presents unique perspectives on the phenomenon and experience of religion, discussing why, when, and where practices, discourses, and the category of religion itself, are engaged by varying communities in the region. It yields fruitful insights into both the religious traditions and lived human experiences of Himalayan peoples in the modern era. Presenting new research and perspectives on the Himalayan region, this book should be of interest to students and scholars of South Asian Studies, Religious Studies, and Modernity.