The Karakorams and Kashmir

Scarce personal reminiscences of Conway's 1892 Karakoram expedition.

Eckenstein (1859 – 1921), was a member of the expedition led by Sir Martin Conway to the Baltoro Muztagh region in 1892. Unfortunately Conway and Eckenstein did not get on, and Eckenstein withdrew from the expedition after six months. In Kashmir, he conducted bouldering contests for the locals - a form of free climbing without the use of ropes or harnesses. Eckenstein collected his letters and diary notes from this expedition into the present book.

Nowadays he is best known as the inventor of the modern crampon and as an innovator in climbing technique and mountaineering equipment. He was the leader of the first serious expedition to attempt to climb K2.