Number in series 21; Year of publication 1927 - Fell and Rock ...

346 THE FELL AND ROCK CLIMBING CLUB JOURNAL.our original plan, namely to go to Martoli and from there toexplore the north-east face of Nanda Devi, which had neverbeen seen properly before, or else to climb Nanda Kot.Three more days up the deep, deep gorge of the Gori Gangatook us to Martoli. On the second day, we passed through themain Himalayan chain by a defile which is the most impressiveI have ever been in. For 2,000 feet on either side the rocks risealmost vertical from the torrent-bed, those on the western sidebeing absolutely vertical, even overhanging in places, for 1,500feet or so above the river. The path goes by the less vertical,eastern side, keeping to a grassy ledge a few feet wide, anddescending the other side on an artificially made zigzag on alarge slab of slanting rock.Martoli, about 100 miles from Almora, is a delightful spotwhere the gorge, before piercing the Himalayas, is an opengrassy valley with snowy peaks on every hand and a little town,deserted save for the summer months, on a shelf 1,000 feet abovethe stream. It is a romantic place, at the junction of the ruggedLwanl valley, which sweeps down from the gigantic eastern faceof Nanda Devi and the northern face of Nanda Kot, and theMilam valley or Gori Ganga, which is almost an exact counterpartof the Rongbuk Valley of Everest in length, breadth, and generalscenery, save that the snowy peak at its head is not so massive asEverest, and the peaks along its right bank are among the steepestand most threatening I have ever seen.We debated whether to go up the Lwanl Valley and attemptthe northern face of Nanda Kot, which was so nearly climbed byLongstaff in 1906, or to endeavour to get a view of the northeastface of Nanda Devi, which had never properly been seen.We finally decided on the latter alternative ; it would bring usinto unexplored country, and would be certain to give usmagnificent views—but little did we then dream of their truemagnificence.So we started up for Milam, about ten miles from Martoli,and about 11,300 feet high. Milam is another deserted town, ofconsiderable size, and when we arrived was uninhabited, butwhile we were there people kept pouring in with their flocks andherds for the hot season, to return again to lower climes whenthe summer was over. On arrival, they started ploughing the