Painted Mountains

Description

Published by Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1986, 1st UK Edition, D/w, Fine.    Stephen Venables is a British mountaineer and author, who is best known for his 1988 new route on the Kangshung Face of Everest, completed solo and without supplementary oxygen, making him the first Briton to climb Everest without oxygen.  This is Venables’ first book and is an account of two very different expeditions to the 6,000 – 7,000 metre peaks of Kashmir.  The first part covers Venables’ and Dick Renshaw’s 1983 first ascent of the North Face of Kishtwar-Shivling, a small two-man expedition on a great mixed climb on snow, ice and rock.  The second part covers Venables’ return in 1985 to the little known eastern ranges of the Karakoram with the Siachen Indo-British Expedition, a much larger venture targeting the peaks of the Rimo massif, where Venables and Tony Saunders came close on Rimo I, and Dave Wilkinson and Jim Fotheringham succeeded on Rimo III, one of a number of first ascents made by Indian and British members of the team.  Winner of the Boardman Tasker Award for 1986.