The Last Blue Mountain

by Ralph Barker

Epic story of 1950s mountain climbing in remote Pakistan. "One of the better mountaineering tales out there. There's friendship, joy, struggle, tragedy, error, and much more."

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Mountaineering, Climbing, Adventure, Survival

210 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1959

About the author

Ralph Hammond Cecil Barker was a non-fiction author who wrote several books on the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and Royal Air Force (RAF) operations in the First and Second World Wars, and about cricket.

Reviews

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Last Blue Mountain is about the 1957 mountain climbing tragedy in Pakistan. I listened to it on audiobook and it went in my DNF pile when I was 50% through the book.

I've read several reviews that indicate it is worth the very slow build up to the tragedy. My preference is to be thrown right into the action at the beginning of the book which hooks me and then to go back in time to understand the backstory.

This book, to me, is painstakingly plodding along with very detailed descriptions of each person. I like the research that was done which involved reading the diaries of all the climbers and speaking with the survivors. It was interesting to learn about the critical decisions around food and water rations, staying, hiking up further or going back down the mountain, and the treacherous weather conditions.

However, the pace made me, as the reader, begin to think I was hunkered down in the tent with the climbers wondering when or whether there was going to be any action.

I may pick this book up again in the future.

[Mike Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its fair to say that this book is a product of its time with a very slow(almost ponderous) build up and rather formal language at times.
However stick with it as underneath it all is a tale I'd certainly never heard of before that is of epic proportions.
Its definitely a story which should be read and those involved lives remembered.

[P M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was sceptical this would be another report of men very much of their era having some sort of epic in a foreign climate, and whilst this is me being flippant this book surprised me and was far more engaging than I was expecting. The author is not a climber, not that you could tell from a technical perspective, but in telling this story it isn’t really important, he manages to convey the various characters in the expedition, as well as describing their motivations in a way that those of us who are climbers can relate to, no doubt the result of the authors consultation with a member of the expedition as well as diaries and records of the trip. No surprise something unforeseen happens to them and it is this which allows the author and those involved to shine. In the end the author manages to describe the immense struggle for survival that takes place, and it is his description of this that makes this book stand out. The drudgery of expedition logistics and valley approaches can be as much of a trudge for the reader in any book about expeditions in the greater ranges, nonetheless what I was left with after reading this book was the bond that people form, the lengths they will go to to try and help those around them, it’s a tale of resilience, at times it really is inspiring stuff.

[Dave Hume · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Blue Mountain is the story of an epic mountaineering tragedy in 1957. First published in 1959, it is written by a non-climbing military historian, Ralph Barker. The tale is worthy of a Boy’s Own Adventure book – 5 young men set off to tackle the unclimbed 24,000 feet Haramosh in the Karakorum region in the North West of the Himalaya. Everest had been climbed for the first time only 4 years earlier, and this was a bold venture by four Oxford graduates, Bernard Jillot and John Emery from the UK, Scott Hamilton from the USA, Rae Culbert from New Zealand, and British Army officer Tony Streather as the leader.
Using diaries and letters, Barker constructs rich biographies of the five protagonists. There are some insights into 1950’s life views – some light stereotyping, such as this description of Scott Hamilton, the American; “Hamilton had many of those admirable qualities which are commonplace among Americans……frank and without artifice, ready to talk freely about himself and always eager to please.” Of Rae Culbert, the New Zealander, he writes of his brother’s decision to study in England as returning to “the old country”. New Zealand was clearly still a ‘colony’.
Barker sets the scene well, as the expedition is planned and the journey to the Karakorum gets underway. The story really takes off when the climbing begins in earnest and the pace of the narrative is compelling. The climbing detail is convincing and authentic, quite something for a non-climbing author to capture.
It is a remarkable tale of determination and endurance, of courage, friendships, challenges and setbacks. The diagrams at the end of the book are vital in helping the reader navigate the topography of the mountain and the comings and goings of the climbers. Perhaps inevitably, as a third party narrator, Barker tends to romanticise the relationships and motives somewhat, and hints at judgements of individuals, although he balances these sympathetically in their favour.
The word ‘epic’ can be complacently overused in mountaineering literature, but the 1957 Karakorum Expedition was a full-blown example of the genre, and the book is an exciting account. There is a new and insightful foreword by Ed Douglas. A reflective paper read to the Alpine Club in 1961 by John Emery, who suffered serious frostbite injuries, is reproduced in the Appendix.
A story of this quality and drama certainly justifies this stylish reprint after 60 years, bringing it to a modern generation of climbers who will surely be impressed with the determination of Streather, Jillott, Culbert, Emery and Hamilton.

[Vincent Waldron · Rating 4 out of 5]

eThe Last Blue Mountain was written in 1960 about a mountain climbing expedition on Haramosh Mountain in Pakistan in 1957. The book apparently was out of print for a while and then re-released with a new introduction by Ed Douglas.

I don't think it is a spoiler to say that some of the climbers died on this climb. Ed Douglas gives as much away in the forward to the book.

The initial two-thirds of the book involves introducing the members of the climbing party, dealing with the tensions they faced as they dealt with poor weather, and the process of setting up various camps on the mountain. It is a bit slow going -- it is nice to get to know the climbers in these settings and it is clear that Barker studied their diaries before setting forth on writing this account, but editing it down a bit would help modern audiences who don't need to read about every time a group moved from Camp 1 to Camp 2.

I am not a climber and have no experience with the extremely high elevations spoken of here. Suffice to say that on what should have been the last day of their expedition, disaster struck. The last third of the book deals with the men struggling together against the mountain -- attempting to rescue each other and finally themselves as tiny misfortune turns into major trauma.

The amazing thing is that any of them survived the climb and yet, even there, one can see that if things had gone differently, they might all have survived to tell the tale before a glowing fire in their homes.

The last third is brutal to read. Agonizing to picture the men laboring against last ice axes and crampons and frost bite. For those interested in climbing (and climbing disasters), I would recommend this book. In some ways it reminds me of "Into Thin Air," but with much less recrimination and blame.

[Bob Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about the danger of mountaineering. It is placed in 1956, in Pakistan with an unclimbed mountain in the Kashmir area, the Himalayan mountains.
It goes to a group of climbers, from Oxford University, who arranged for a group to attempt this climb. This was the golden age of climbing as it was not long after Mallory and Everest.
The story is recounted by the survivors and written by a writer who was not on the trip. It the detail is good. You felt like you were there.
It speaks to the dangers of everything you try up in the “danger zone” above 20,000 feet without oxygen.
There are lessons here for all of us.
Understand your surroundings.
The weather turned on this group, to impossible. They should have stopped and descended. It would have saved lives. But the drive of man to push on, is strong.

This book was good, if you like this type of adventure. I do. I also needed a break from current events and political books that I have been reading.
It is a good and fast read.

[Apriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Those OG mountain climbers were badass! Not relying on guides to hold their hands up the mountain or other people to carry all their stuff and cook for them. And certainly not rescue them if something went wrong.

I think I enjoy these older climbing tales because they seem more genuine and authentic. These guys climbed because they loved climbing and exploring and the friendships they developed while doing so. They weren’t the clout goblins we see today who just really want those Instagram likes.

This was another climbing tale on another mountain I had never heard of by people who are actually pretty famous for their climbing and contributions to the sport. Definitely recommend to anyone who likes mountaineering books.

Also shout out to the fifth member of the team, Hamilton, that was in charge of keeping the camps running. He’s from my home state of Arkansas. We don’t really have mountains and barely ever get any significant snow so to stumble upon an Arkansasan in a pretty epic mountaineering book, even peripherally, is awesome.

[Pat Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this a 4.5. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 was because the language used to describe some of the landscapes was difficult to follow. Some illustrations would have helped. But this is a fantastic story.

[teleri · Rating 3 out of 5]

these dudes couldn’t catch a break :/

[Leo Mccarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

[Amy Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping and compelling. I found the lengthy technical detail/description of the logistics required to establish multiple base camps to be quite interesting too.

[Blue Ink and Paper Stars · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of climbing lingo. Not much of a story, more of a detailed account of what happened. Got lost in the details of the mountain descriptions and such. Don't recommend unless you're into climbing

[Michael Cawley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Last Blue Mountain by Ralph Barker has been recently republished in the UK by Vertebrate Publishing (March 2020). Originally published in 1959, it recounts the story of a small expedition organised by members of the Oxford University Mountaineering Club to attempt the then un-climbed Haramosh Peak (7,397m) in the Karakorum Range (Pakistan), in 1957. The attempt ended in catastrophe, and sadly some of the climbers did not survive.

The book was written in consultation with the surviving climbers, and made use of their diaries and photographs. It provides a biographical background of each member of the party, and details the expedition from inception to conclusion. It includes the original introduction by Sir John Hunt (leader of the successful 1953 Mount Everest expedition), a new and useful introduction by mountain author and journalist Ed Douglas, and an appendix consisting of a paper presented by one of the expedition members, John Emery, to the British Alpine Club. (This paper is not directly related to the story of the Haramosh expedition, but it is worthwhile in its own right and provides an interesting insight to Emery’s outlook on climbing.)

It is easy to think of the expedition (and the book) solely in terms of the epic and tragedy that came to pass, and the struggle and grit of the climbers whom endured it. In this sense it is well told and a gripping and harrowing read. However, the catastrophe, when it came, was sudden and unpredictable, and took place on the last planned day of climbing. By this point the party had been on the mountain for about six weeks, and so much of the book is actually focused on events prior. A great deal of detail is given on what can only be described as the logistics and grind of pioneering a new route in the Greater Ranges – route finding, load carrying, managing relationships with hired local porters, working around inclement and unpredictable weather and mountain conditions. For anyone interested in mountaineering and mountaineering history, this aspect of the book is fascinating in its own right, and a humbling insight into what a small self-organised party could achieve, especially given their youth (Streather was the eldest member at 31; the others all in their twenties).

There are some flaws with the book. As Ed Douglas notes in his introduction, some elements have not aged particularly well. The discussion of women (parents, spouses, girlfriends) left at home or met on the way feels sparse and one-dimensional, only represented through their significance to the men involved. And some of the attitudes displayed towards the local Hunza porters are ‘colonial’ at best, and hard not to see as racist at times, although this is not always the case and it is clear the expedition members did ultimately value and care for them. The language generally feels archaic in places. These elements are grating to read today, and do make the book feel a product of its time.

That said, it remains a noteworthy story, and one that deserves to be told despite its flaws. The book succeeds in painting a fascinating view of exploratory mountaineering in the 1950s, and is gripping as things go wrong and rapidly escalate out of hand. It is hard not to respect the team for what they achieved in a non-professional and entirely self-organised capacity even before calamity struck, and the sheer toughness and stoicism of the party and the dedication of the expedition members to each other is still humbling to read now.

Note: I was provided this book by Vertebrate Publishing for me to review. This has not affected the content of my review or my opinion of the book.

[Steve Chilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a slow starter, and written in an old-fashioned and quite formal style. There are also some very 'colonial' views expressed by the author on behalf of his subjects. But stick with it - as once it gets to the drama it is a tale of epic proportions that deserves telling. Its one I didn't know but was quite affected by in the end.

[Philippa · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘The Last Blue Mountain’ records one of the most tragic mountaineering disasters. It’s an absorbing and devastating account of an expedition to Mount Haramosh in 1957: four experienced and enthusiastic climbers make a bid for the first ascent of a largely unexplored mountain.

Ralph Barker – the author – wasn’t on the expedition, and as the foreword explains, isn’t actually a climber himself. When I read this, I was a bit concerned that his account would be inaccurate or emotionally detached – how much detail would it have been possible to pass onto someone who not only wasn’t on the expedition, but isn’t even a climber? I needn’t have worried: Barker’s account is vivid and compelling, and his objectivity allows for an insightful and sympathetic portrayal of the climbers. One of the real strengths of this book is the care with which Barker explains each man’s weaknesses – always balanced against his strengths, always explained and justified. I loved Barker’s attempts to understand and reason through why these men are here, suffering and struggling just for the sake of exploring the mountains.

The first three quarters of the book all lead up to the catastrophe. It can be difficult to hold the reader’s interest through what is inevitably a very repetitive part of the expedition: trudging up and down between the camps, investigating route options, and managing food supplies. Barker shows plenty of small careful details to keep it interesting, and it is here that his capturing of the climbers’ thoughts and emotions after reading their diaries is really valuable. Maybe this is partly why the later tragedy is so devastating to read: every climber in this book is fully fleshed out - rather than just the author – and seeing their excitement and enthusiasm makes the final disaster even more heartwrenching.

I won’t expand on the details of the tragedy so as to avoid spoiling it for anyone unaware of what happens – but the bravery and selflessness of all four climbers is palpable. Barker vividly captures their determination and persistence, and the mental strength it must have taken to keep trying again and again. Often looking back at mountain disasters allows you to track the path of the tragedy, noting each tiny mistake that escalated until the disaster slowly becomes inevitable. There’s no sense of that here – just dedicated climbers who got incredibly unlucky, despite repeated heroic attempts to escape.

I found the ending lingering in my mind for a couple of days after I finished it – definitely the mark of a tragic story told well. It’s a haunting and evocative read which serves as an excellent tribute to those who lost their lives on this expedition.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning was too slow. Just dragged on.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkable and inspiring story of courage and determination in the face of disaster, of triumph in the face of overwhelming odds and of facing tragedy when things go wrong. Although I've never done mountain walking/climbing in such extreme conditions, I nevertheless found that the detailed technical descriptions of the climbing challenges faced by the team really added to my appreciation of what they achieved. This appreciation increased as the heroic rescue mission progressed and the tension increased. I find it amazing that the author, with no personal experience of mountaineering, or the Karakoram range, managed not only to capture so convincingly the technical challenges the men faced, but also to so evocatively portray the physical landscape.
There were moments when some of the misogynistic, paternalistic and racist attitudes and opinions expressed felt jarring and shocking from a twenty-first century perspective and so I needed to keep reminding myself that the book was first published in 1959, authentically reflecting the era in which it was written. However, anyone able to set these 'criticisms' aside will find this a gripping and inspiring story - I found it almost impossible to put down and, as I finished it, felt full of admiration for each of the individuals involved.

With thanks to Vertebrate Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah Laing · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tragedy which unfolds in the Karakoram mountain range in 1957 is very well told by Ralph Barker, despite him not being present on the expedition. It builds a detailed picture of the characters, which left me unable to put the book down in the hope that every climber would survive. It is a captivating read, which made me question what I would do if I was in the climber's situation. I would highly recommend the book for climbers or non-climbers. as it displays the amazing lengths we can go to, to save a friend.

[Rafa Willisch · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of many books about this subject. It’s like Groundhog Day in the literary mountaineering world. If you are into climbing, I guess you are looking for the technicalities of the adventure but if you are not, like me, instead you are looking for how a human being overcomes a hopeless situation and this book does not teach you anything on that issue. There are many more better books about this so don’t waste your time with this one.

[Jon Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is superbly introduced by Ed Douglas and then the narrative unfolds slowly and precisely, we get to know mountaineering and we get to know mountaineers, then we get to know the mountain and the toll it extracts in the final remorseless, desperate and harrowing chapters. A classic of the genre.

[Siraj Nasri · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is a portrayal of strong dedication towards achieving collective goals. It takes you along ascent as if you are a part of the team. I belong to haramosh valley and I pay tribute to the team on their venture to haramosh peak. And this is what i take from the novel
Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.” – T.S. Eliot