Prelude to Everest
Alexander Kellas, Himalayan Mountaineer
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About the Book:
A compulsive and fascinating account of one of the great pioneers of Himalayan climbing. DOUG SCOTT, from the foreword
When Everest was finally climbed in 1953, few remembered Alexander Kellas, the first man to die on an expedition to the mountain in 1921, and who was commemorated alongside the renowned duo of Mallory and Irvine on the memorial at the Rongbuk Glacier. Kellas' expeditions prepared the way for the eventual ascent of Kangchenjunga and of Everest itself, which could perhaps have been climbed earlier had his pioneering work on high altitude physiology been carried forward after his death.
Award-winning mountain writer Ian R Mitchell and scientist George W Rodway tell the tale of Aberdeen-born Kellas, who achieved the first ascent of several Himalayan peaks over 20,000 feet, but whose life was to end in tragedy as he became the first 'martyr' of Everest in 1921. Beginning in Scotland's Cairngorms and ending in the majestic Himalayas, Kellas' journey encompasses struggles, explorations, and discoveries which impacted mountaineering from the early 20th century to the present day, and arguably mark him as Scotland's greatest mountaineer.
Reviews:
To have produced a work of such significance that is also fun to read is an achievement. TERRY GIFFORD, High Reviews on Scotland's Mountains Before the Mountaineers
For all who appreciate the origins and development of high altitude mountaineering, this is a must. JOHN I MURRAY, Irish Mountain Log on George Ingle Finch's The Struggle for Everest
About the Authors:
IAN R MITCHELL is a historian, who gave up teaching to devote himself to writing full time. After graduating from university in his native Aberdeen in 1973, Ian did postgraduate research at Leeds, followed by a British Council scholarship to study in Berlin. The author of articles in learned journals, and of a standard textbook on Bismarck, Ian taught for over 20 years at Clydebank College, mainly on German history. Increasingly interested in Scottish history and heritage, and a lifelong hillwalker, Ian has produced several other books, including Scotland’s Mountains before the Mountaineers, a pre-history of explorations and ascents in the Scottish mountains. Ian also writes frequently on outdoor matters for climbing journals and the general media. In addition, he gives talks and slide shows on his books.
GEORGE RODWAY PhD is an Assistant Professor in the School of Medicine at the University of Utah and Research Fellow at University College London's Centre for Altitude, Space and Extreme Environment Medicine. He is the author of many scientific and historical articles and has been an active mountaineer in the Americas, the Himalaya and Europe for over 30 years. George lives in Utah, USA.