Himalaya Playground of Gods

THE HIMALAYAS, PLAYGROUND OF THE GODS. By Capt M. S. Kohli. Pp. 244, 45 illustrations, 36 maps, 1983. (Vikas Publishing House, New Delhi, Rs 185)

Mountain guide books are of many categories. Some describe a route in great detail with every hold. Some of the Himalayan guides describe even the location of tea-shops and hair-dressers (Japanese). There are few that leave a lot to the imagination of a trekker while giving a broad outline. There is a mine of information avail¬able nowadays, by personal experience, involvement with the sport passively and through published material. With the growth of Himalayan Tourism — a term used for trekkers and visitors to the Himalaya, there is a need for information on every aspect of trekking. But these jet-age trekkers do not need full details for they don’t have the time, they don’t have time to study the mini¬mum literature like location also. They go where they are heralded to by their agents and organisers.

Capt Kohli’s above guide book is meant for such a tourist-trekker. Perhaps he will know a thing or two better about where he is going. There are lists of ‘open’ areas for foreigners and ‘open’ peaks in each of the Himalayan country given. Government regu¬lations and various authorities to be contacted are elucidated. Addresses of travel agents who can organise treks are given in a few cases. In short all the literature that existed separately is ^brought together under one cover and it does make a easy reference.

The author himself is a renowned mountaineer and one of the pioneers in Himalayan Tourism. But you can hardly expect him to have trekked on all the Himalayan routes. Thus quite a lot of ,information is through published literature, mostly government agencies. Sometimes consistency is missing in presentation and there are numerous different spellings used for a same name. Every time the mention of Baltistan, Hunza or Gilgit is made a footnote ^is added to say that ‘all three are under the illegal occupation of Pakistan.’ It is jarring to read this. Is it not that mountaineers are above such political considerations?

The book is profusely illustrated with 36 maps, each well drawn and will prove very useful. The terrain covered is wide. Bhutan, Nepal, India, Karakoram, Afghanistan and China. In each a few select treks as would appeal to a trekker with few days at disposal are given. For a serious trekker, it provides a suggestion but he will have to do his own studies. Those areas where foreigners are prohibited are not covered at all. A list of what to take, elementary medicines, on ecology, river running, Himalayan traverses are also touched. Photographs are excellent.

It will be useful to an expedition planner in a limited way also. The list of peaks available and government regulations are given in detail. This is particularly true in case of climbing in China about which not much is known.

Overall the book will prove very useful to have ready informa¬tion. You don’t have to hunt for different sets of information all over, it is all here. It is hoped that this will help more tourists to just pack their rucksacks and get on with trekking and be aware of what they are doing.

HARISH KAPADIA