Author Description

The west-Himalaya is one of the most fascinating areas of the world. In no other region is the Tibetan culture preserved in such pristine shape. Illustrated with excellent new photos, this volume gives an insight into more than 1200 years of heritage and 100 years of exploration of this landscape. The Tibet of today is a virtually destroyed country. One can only experience Tibetan culture that approximates its original state in the Indian border regions, especially the western Himalayas, where the forced exile of tens of thousands of Tibetans who used to make up principalities and kingdoms have brought about an unexpected cultural renaissance. The year 1909 saw the first research expedition devoted entirely to the western Himalayas. Over the last 20 years, the author and photographer Peter van Ham has made several expeditions in the footsteps of the early Himalayan researchers and has found the cultural heritage and the spectacular scenery of the Western Himalayas largely unchanged. His own fascinating work is complemented by the historic photographic work of Samuel Bourne, Babu Lal Pindi and Heinrich Harrer. German text.