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Nanda Devi: A Journey to the Last Sanctuary

Hugh Thomson

Until 1934 the hidden valley of the Nanda Devi Sanctuary, on the border between India and Tibet, had never been entered by human beings. Surrounded by 20,000-foot peaks, which effectively seal off Mt Nanda Devi at their centre, it remains virtually impenetrable even today. Many early explorers, drawn there by the idea of a ‘lost Eden’ in the Himalaya, could only gaze with longing at the Sanctuary – until the ‘terrible-twins’ of pre-Second World War mountaineering, Eric Shipton and Bill Tillman, solved the problem by forcing an entrance up a precipitous river gorge. Subsequent expeditions were beset by tragedy and concern that the fragile ecology of the Sanctuary might be damaged; until, for curious reasons involving the CIA - which the first edition of this book revealed- the Indian government finally decided to ban all visitors. The Sanctuary was briefly reopened  in 2000 for a special millennium expedition, of which Hugh Thomson was a part. Thomson weaves the story of this last journey to the Sanctuary together with those who have gone before him, and gives a tantalizing account of a place described by explorers as ‘more inaccessible than the North Pole'.

  • Classification : Travel & Travel Writing
  • Pub Date : JUN 15, 2017
  • Imprint : Hachette India
  • Page Extent : 152
  • Binding : PB
  • ISBN : 9789351951964
  • Price : INR 399
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Hugh Thomson

Hugh Thomson has led many research expeditions to Peru about which he has written an acclaimed series of books: THE WHITE ROCK and its sequel COCHINEAL RED. TEQUILA OIL saw him return to South America after 30 years and was serialised by BBC Radio 4 as their Book of the Week. He has also edited Hiram Bingham's classic account of the discovery of Machu Picchu LOST CITY OF THE INCAS. An expedition to a usually inaccessible part of the Himalayas and the source of a legend resulted in NANDA DEVI: A JOURNEY TO THE LAST SANCTUARY. He is also a film-maker and has won many awards for his documentaries which include INDIAN JOURNEYS WITH WILLIAM DALRYMPLE and DANCING IN THE STREET: A ROCK AND ROLL HISTORY. He lives in Oxfordshire.

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