Throughout 1949 & 1950 H.W. ` Bill` Tilman mounted pioneering expeditions to Nepal & its Himalayan mountains, taking advantage of some of the first access to the country for Western travellers in the 20th century. Tilman & his party-including a certain Sherpa Tenzing Norgay-trekked into the Kathmandu Valley & on to the Langtang region, where the highs & lows began. They first explored the Ganesh Himal, before moving on to the Jugal Himal & the following season embarking on an ambitious trip to Annapurna & Everest. Manaslu was their first objective, but left to `better men`, & Annapurna IV very nearly climbed instead but for bad weather which dogged the whole expedition. Needless to say, Tilman was leading some very lightweight expeditions into some seriously heavyweight mountains. After the Annapurna adventure Tilman headed to Everest with-among others-Dr Charles Houston. Approaching from the delights of Namche Bazaar, the party made progress up the flanks of Pumori to gaze as best they could into the Western Cwm, & at the South Col & South-East Ridge approach to the summit of Everest. His observations were both optimistic & pessimistic: ` One cannot write off the south side as impossible until the approach from the head of the West Cwm to this remarkably airy col has been seen.` But then of the West Cwm: `A trench overhung by these two tremendous walls might easily become a grave for any party which pitched its camp there.` Nepal Himalaya presents Tilman`s favourite sketches, encounters with endless yetis, trouble with the porters, his obsessive relationship with alcohol & issues with the food. & so Tilman departs Nepal for the last time proper with these retiring words: ` If a man feels he is failing to achieve this stern standard he should perhaps withdraw from a field of such high endeavour as the Himalaya.`