Product Description

The Sherpas were not born climbers. When the British went to Everest in 1921, they hired porters. Yet by 1953 these Porters had become the famous 'Tigers of the Snow'. The book describes the decisive moment in the transformation of 'coolies' (porters and labourers) into the Sherpas as climbing legends: the German expedition to Nanga Parbat in 1934. During that disastrous climb, the Europeans unroped from their inexperienced porters and fled to safety leaving them to stay on the mountain and help each other as best they could. After this tragedy the Sherpas, with their keen understanding of and respect for the mountains as well as their instinct to save lives, knew they were the most responsible men on the mountains. TIGERS IN THE SNOW is a compelling narrative of a climb gone wrong, set against the mountaineering history of the early 20th century and the haunting background of German politics in the 1930s.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #256844 in Books
• Published on: 2003-02-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Review
'Little has been written about the people who made Himalayan climbing possible... [Neale] does so with great empathy and thorough research.' SUNDAY TIMES 'Remarkable... both enjoyable and thought-provoking.' SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY 'Chock-full of interest.' SCOTSMAN 'A genuinely moving story... shot through with his deep affection for his sherpa friends.' SOCIALIST REVIEW

About the Author
Jonathan Neale is the author of two non-fiction books and one novel. He has had ten plays produced in Britain in the last 15 years and has a PhD in social history. He speaks some Nepali and a little Sherpa.

Customer Reviews

The Sherpa's Rise to Acclaim
Sherpas are renowned the world over for their loyalty and courage when dealing with one of the most hostile areas of this planet. They have accompanied nearly every major peak expedition in the Himalayas since the beginning of the 20th century, always impressing the climbers with their quiet respect and honour. However prior to the disastrous German expedition to Nagna Parbat in 1934, Sherpas had not been singled out in this fashion at all. Lumped in with other local tribes and castes, all porters and load bearers on somewhat extravagant and even fanatical western funded expeditions were treated as no more than human pack animals.

This excellently insightful account of the Sherpa's rise to international respect makes for a fascinating read. It is very well researched, and gives plenty of background to the cultural, religious and historical beliefs of the people of the Himalaya, and balances this well against the events at the time of the initial climbing disaster. It puts into context the political and national events that were taking place in Europe during the 1930s, and what effect this had on climber's and leader's desires to conquer "the unconquerable".

Whether one is a climber or not, I would highly recommend this as a gripping account of both why people feel the need to push themselves to the utmost limits, as well as a lesson in how two races can learn to respect and accommodate one another.

The other side of the mountain
An excellent book, which charts the development of Himalayan mountaineering from the other side, that of the Sherpas. The author illustrates the evolution of the relationship between Western climbers and Sherpas, from an initially paternalistic view ("we keep better equipment and rations for ourselves than we give the Sherpas. We carry lighter loads than them. But if we reach the peak it's somehow a greater achievement than if they do") to a much more equitable state. The author pinpoints the 1934 German Nanga Parbat expedition, and in particular the way in which a couple of its German members abandoned their Sherpa colleagues, as the turning point which caused the Sherpas to revise their own view of their role.