{"product_id":"blank-on-the-map-pioneering-exploration-in-the-shaksgam-valley-and-karakoram-mountains-9781912560073","title":"Blank on the Map: Pioneering Exploration in the Shaksgam Valley and Karakoram Mountains","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'As I studied the maps, one thing about them captured my imagination - across this blank space was written one challenging word, \"Unexplored\"'\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 1937 two of the twentieth century's greatest explorers set off to explore an unknown area of the \u003cstrong\u003eHimalaya\u003c\/strong\u003e, the breath-taking Shaksgam mountains. With a team of surveyors and Sherpas, \u003cstrong\u003eEric Shipton\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eH.W. Tilman\u003c\/strong\u003e located and mapped the land around \u003cstrong\u003eK2\u003c\/strong\u003e, the second-highest mountain in the world. It was their greatest venture, and one that paved the way for all future mountaineering in that area of the Himalaya. For Shipton and Tilman, exploration was everything, with a summit a welcome bonus, and \u003cem\u003eBlank on the Map\u003c\/em\u003e is the book that best captures their spirit of adventure. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith an observant eye and keen sense of humour, Shipton tells how the expedition entered the unknown \u003cstrong\u003eShaksgam mountains\u003c\/strong\u003e, crossing impenetrable gorges, huge rivers and endless snow fields. There's a very human element to Shipton's dealings with his Sherpa friends, and with his Balti porters, some of whom were helpful, while some were less so. The expedition uncovers traces of ancient cultures and visits vibrant modern civilisations living during the last days of the British Empire. Only when all supplies are exhausted, their clothes in tatters and all equipment lost do the men finally return home. A mountain exploration classic.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEric Shipton\u003c\/b\u003e (1907-1977) was one of the great mountain explorers of the twentieth century, often known for his infamous climbing partnership with H.W. 'Bill' Tilman. He climbed extensively in the Alps in the 1920s, put up new routes on Mount Kenya in 1921, and in 1931, made the first ascent of Kamet with Frank Smythe - the highest peak climbed at that time. Shipton was involved with most of the Everest expeditions in the 1930s, reaching a high point of 28,000 feet in 1933. He went on to lead the 1951 expedition, which was the first to approach Everest from the north (Nepali) side through the Khumbu Icefall, and on which Edmund Hillary first set foot on the mountain.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Vertebrate Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50516486914322,"sku":"9781912560073","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_12ddebf5-7a62-4508-bcaf-ded46548df5b.jpg?v=1731026691","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/blank-on-the-map-pioneering-exploration-in-the-shaksgam-valley-and-karakoram-mountains-9781912560073","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}