Annapurna
Page 30
Annapurna, to which we had gone empty-handed, was a treasure on which we should live the rest of our days. With this realization we turn the page: a new life begins.
There are other Annapurnas in the lives of men.
1 Monument to the dead, enclosing the ashes or relics of the Buddha, or else simply a memorial.
At Tansing, April 11th 1950
Angtharkay pays off the porters
Tukucha, headquarters of the expedition
Houses in Tukucha
Dhaulagiri and Tukucha Peak from the east
First reconnaissance in the Dambush Khola, north-east of Dhaulagiri
Camp high up in the valley of the Dambush Khola: The Nilgiris in the background
15,000 feet up, Herzog catches sight of Annapurna, on the right of the photograph
The Great Ice Lake on the Tilicho Pass, with Ganga Purna in the background
Village and valley of Manangbhot
Chahar, where pilgrims make their last halt before arriving at the sacred springs of Muktinath
Annapurna, showing the ice cliffs of the Sickle glacier and the couloir by which the summit was reached. The avalanche hides Camp II
Herzog on the north-west spur of Annapurna
Evening at Camp I
Sherpas at Camp II with the Cauliflower Ridge in the background
Camp III among the seracs
Climbers knee-deep in new snow on the way to Camp III
A sherpa crossing the ice slope below Camp IVA at about 23,000 feet
North Face of Annapurna, seen from the buttresses of the Great Barrier.
Inset: Facsimile of Herzog’s message announcing the decision to attack Annapurna
The snow-blinded Terray returning to Camp II supported by Angtharkay
Ajeeba carrying Herzog across the flooded Miristi Khola
Rébuffat being taken down on a sledge from Camp II
Between Camp I and base camp. Sarki (left) helps the porter who is carrying Herzog
The return by the Miristi Khola in the monsoon
Through the paddy fields
Glossary
anorak
wind-proof jacket with hood attached.
arête
ridge, generally one of the main ridges of a mountain.
belay
to secure the climber to a projection with the rope; the projection itself.
bergschrund
a large crevasse separating the upper slopes of a glacier from the steeper ice or rock above.
cagoule
long anorak descending below the knees.
chimney
a narrow vertical gully in rock or ice.
chorten
a Buddhist religious monument.
col
pass.
cornice
overhanging mass of snow or ice along a ridge, shaped like the curling crest of a wave and generally formed by the prevailing wind.
couloir
gully or furrow in a mountain side; may be of rock, ice or snow.
crampons
metal frame with spikes, fitting the soles of the boots, for use on hard snow or ice.
crevasse
a fissure in a glacier, often of great depth.
gendarme
rock tower or tooth on a ridge.
glissade
to slide down a snow slope, either sitting or standing, using the ice-axe to control speed and direction.
ice-fall
a much torn and crevassed portion of a glacier caused by a change of angle or direction in the slope.
line
a thin rope used for rappel or roping down (q.v.).
massif
group of mountains.
moraine
accumulation of stones and débris brought down by a glacier, which forms ridges.
névé
patches of snow, usually above the permanent snow line.
pitch
section of difficult ice or rock, anything from 10 to 120 feet in height.
piton
metal spike with a ring in the head, which can be driven into rock or ice.
rappel or roping down
system of descending steep pitches by means of a rope doubled round a projection. Usually the thin rope known as line is used.
rope
attaches members of a party together; a party may be referred to as ‘a rope’.
scree
slope of small loose stones.
serac
tower or pinnacle of ice, found mainly in ice-falls.
slalom
zigzag descent on skis.
snap-link
large metal spring-loaded clip, which can be fixed to the rope or piton.
snow-bridge
a layer of snow bridging a crevasse.
spur
a rib of rock: sometimes used for an arête (q.v.)
traverse
to cross a mountain slope horizontally.
tsampa
roasted and ground barley or other grain.
verglas
thin coating of ice on rock.
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Copyright © Maurice Herzog 1952
Introduction copyright © Joe Simpson 1997
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First published in Great Britain in 1952 by Jonathan Cape
First published in paperback in 1997 by Pimlico
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ISBN 9780099541462