If New Zealander Jim Leithe`s photo of Fluted Peak had been of better quality and therefore more representative of the mountain,
I would have thought twice about agreeing to meet him in Kathmandu at the end of a 13 month round-the-world mountaineering odyssey in 1989. The steepness of the fluted ice runnels that defend it on all sides would have sobered me into a more realistic view of what sort of state I would be in after so long on the road. As it was, Jim arrived from London, fit to kill, having run 100 miles a week in preparation. I rolled into Kathmandu overland from Darjeeling, 10 kilograms underweight, and fit for bed.
I wonder whether our guide, Nima, sensed that I had had enough by then, because he sent us up the wrong approach valley, and so when the mists finally cleared, we found ourselves on the slopes of Tent Peak, 5663 metres, instead of the one we had paid $300 for, Fluted Peak, 6501 metres.
Jim was furious about this. He hadn`t run those 100 miles a week just to repeat a climb he had done five years earlier. I on the other hand was quietly delighted that our booked monster-peak was not going to be on the cards in the time allotted. Tent Peak went fairly uneventfully, and I was able to return to the UK and willy-wave about my first Himalayan summit.

Monsoon scene, Thamal, Kathmandu

Fishing, Kathmandu style

Goat sacrifice, Baktapur

Cremation at Pashupatinath, Kathmandu

Brother and sister

Machapuchare from Pokhara

Nepali girl

Shy or playful local girl

Nepali boy

Nepali girl

Nepali toddler

Nepali girl

Annapurna South

Annapurna South and Hiunchuli

Annapurna South

Annapurna South after a clearing storm

Annapurna South and Hiunchuli

Annapurna South and Hiunchuli

Two local children watch our guide go by

Machapuchare at dawn

Police checkpost at Suiket

Nepal operates on a different calendar

Porters above Suikhet, day one
of the trail to the Sanctuary

Porter giving his verdict on Western pop

One of our porters
on the walk-in

South face of Annapurna One
from Tent Peak Base Camp

Another porter giving his
verdict on Western pop

Obergabelhorn from Tent
Peak Base Camp

Annapurna Three and Obergabelhorn
from Tent Peak Base Camp

Annapurna South from
Tent Peak Base Camp

Fang from Tent Peak
Base Camp

South face of Annapurna,
8091 metres

Sunrise on Fang from
Tent Peak Base Camp

Machapuchare
from Tent Peak

Telephoto of Machapuchare
from Tent Peak

Machapuchare
from Tent Peak

Sunrise on Hiunchuli
from Camp One, Tent Peak

Approaching Camp One
with Annapurna behind

Jim struggling on approach
to Camp One

Hiunchuli from Camp One,
Tent Peak

Melting snow for tea at Camp One

Fang, 7647 metres

Obergabelhorn from Tent Peak

Jim roping up for the glacier
on Tent Peak

Machapuchare at dawn from
the first camp on Tent Peak

Tent Peak from the west

Tent Peak from the west

Tent Peak and Machapuchare

Approaching the summit of Tent Peak

High on Tent Peak

High on Tent Peak

Jim sorting the ropes on
summit of Tent Peak

Summit pose on Tent Peak

Jim on summit of Tent Peak,
Annapurna Three behind

Fluted Peak (Singu Chuli)
from Tent Peak

Jim resting on col on north
side of Tent Peak

Our two climbers back at Camp One,
Machapuchare behind

For image licensing or to purchase a print, contact Ian Swarbrick
e-mail: imagesfromthewild@bluewin.ch
Rehetobelstrasse 34, CH9000 St Gallen, Switzerland
Tel: 0041 71 245 29 17
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