famous explorers

When Bill Tilman travelled to the Pakistan Karakoram in 1937, he hoped to solve two unexplained geographical riddles: the existence of an icecap in Central Asia, and a glacier without any river outlet. He relished the opportunity to prove the scientists wrong.

(I should start by pointing out to anyone hoping to read about the Ernest Hemingway short story of the same name, about a man who bullies his wife while dying of an infected leg on safari in East Africa, that

“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success.” Sir Ernest Shackleton (allegedly) At the beginning of his book Round Ireland with a Fridge, the

“All experience is an arch wherethrough Gleams that untravelled world, whose margin fades For ever and for ever when I move.” Alfred, Lord Tennyson I recently added the above quotation to the main page of my travel photos on this

If you like books about mountaineering, here are some of my favourites. I make no claims that these are the 5 best books about mountain exploration ever written, because I can’t claim to have read them all. They are simply

The riddle of Snow Lake and the glacier with no outlet

The snows of Kilimanjaro, and why seeing is believing

Safe return doubtful: Was Shackleton’s advert apocryphal?

All experience is an arch: a traveller’s motto

5 great books about mountain exploration