Last year saw the publication of The White Ladder, an account of the early days of European mountaineering (of course they were always were accompanied by natives who were familiar with the terrain and possibly had already ascended these same mountains; hmmmm). Among those mentioned are our own Aleister Crowley who was part of the expedition to K2 -an expedition that ultimately failed, not reaching the peak’s summit, BUT which did set a new record for height achieved (again, for rich white folks).
I recently came across the New York Times’ review. Here’s an excerpt:
But, like Schlagintweit, Eckenstein encountered men on his adventures that were as dangerous and unpredictable as the mountains. One was a member of his 1902 expedition on K2: the future occultist Aleister Crowley. He had insisted upon bringing a collection of heavy, vellum-bound poetry books up with him.
“I would rather bear physical starvation than intellectual starvation,” Crowley said. This absurd, forceful flare of ego was a bad augur.
Adverse weather conditions had kept them confined to their tents, ultimately preventing them from completing their mission. A fever befell Crowley, causing him to experience severe hallucinations. At one point, he drew his revolver, only to have it taken away before he could hurt anyone. By his own account, he savagely beat the party’s sherpa guides more than once.
Read the whole review:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/24/books/review/the-white-ladder-daniel-light.html
