Minya Konka: Schneeberge im Osten Tibets - Die Entdeckung eines Alpin-Paradieses [Minya Konka: Snow Mountains in East Tibet - The Discovery of an Alpine Paradise]

A very nice book covering the little-known mountainous area of the border region between eastern Tibet and China. A ‘blank on the map’ until the 1930s, geographers assumed the highest mountains in the world were here as the source of the large rivers of China. Minya Konka (24,892') itself was first climbed in 1932, by a small American party. It was the second highest peak climbed at the time, after Kamet in 1931. Since then the region faded into the background until recently regaining the focus of mountaineers looking for new, unclimbed peaks. This book covers 12 specific regions and describes the early explorations and climbs, the local culture, and possibilities for hiking and climbing routes. The maps, both panoramas and detail, are extremely well done. Photos are by Dr. Gerhard Schmatz, Antoine de Choudens (who made the last successful ascent of Minya Konka in 2002), Tamotsu Nakamura, Eduard Imhof, Richard Burdsall (who made the first successful ascent of Minya Konka in 1932), and others. In German, no English translation.