Everest Photo Books

1. Nepal: Kathmandu Valley, Chitwan, Annapurna, Mustang, Everest (Lonely Planet Pictorial)

by Richard I'Anson. First published 2007. A large coffee-table type book featuring over 400 photos from renowned photographer Richard L’Anson. Chapters include Kathmandu and Kathmandu Valley (112 pages), Chitwan (20 pages), the Annapurna Circuit and Sanctuary (54 pages), Upper Mustang (20 pages), and the Mount Everest Khumbu region (51 pages). The front cover is Annapurna South Face.

The Everest chapter includes Phakding, Namche Bazaar, Thami, Khumjung, Phortse, the Gokyo Valley, and the views from Gorak Shep and Kala Pattar. There are photos of the Mani Rimdu festival from both Chiwang and Tengboche. In addition to Everest, there are photos of Cholatse and Tawachee, Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Nuptse, Pumori, Makalu, and Cho Oyu. There are three photos of Lhotse - from Gokyo Ri, on the way to Dingboche, and from Dingboche.

This is my favourite Nepal photo book. It features all of the main tourist areas. The photos are spectacular.

2. Nepal Himalaya

by Shiro Shirahata. Published 1983. One of Michael Chessler's Best Mountain Photo Books. A large, heavy quality paper, coffee-table type book featuring 115 spectacular photos, over half double-pages, of the 8000m Nepalese mountains - Kangchenjunga, Makalu, Everest and Lhotse (cover), Cho Oyu, Manaslu, Annapurna, Dhaulagiri - and many others, including Jannu, Nuptse, and Ama Dablam.

There are 32 pages with 18 photos of the Everest region - the cover is a beautiful 2-page photo of Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse at sunset. There's also a similar 2-page daytime photo, and one of the Kangshung Face. There are also excellent photos of Lhotse, Nuptse and Ama Dablam.

3. Ballooning Over Everest

by Leo Dickinson. Published 1993. Also available as a video, this book tells the story of the author's quest to be the first person to fly a balloon over Mount Everest. The book starts with getting the expedition financed and then trekking to Gokyo. They wait over three weeks for the right winds, and then the two balloons took off from Gokyo on October 21, 1991.

"The pyramid increased dramatically in size as we flew directly towards the summit; it was enormous. ... As we flashed over the summit at 60 miles an hour, I looked back to the Hillary Step, on to the summit itself, and it became a totally different mountain. All was white and crystalline. ... The dramatic sweep of the Kangshung Face of Everest with its ice flutings and huge seracs."

Leo Dickinson was in the first balloon, and everything went well until the end, when they crash landed in Tibet, spinning violently. The second balloon got in terrible early when their burners failed several times as they flew towards the Western Cwm. They managed to relight them each time and landed safely in Tibet.

The photos of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Cho Oyu and Makalu are sensational, taken from an overhead angle I have not seen before. There are 25 photos containing Everest.

4. Solu-Khumbu: The Trek to Everest: A Photographic Journal by Tim Hauf

by Tim Hauf. Published 2002. Tim documents his 1999 trek day-by-day from Jiri to Everest, highlighted with his diary and his excellent photos. You could use this kind of book to visualize what you will experience on the trek. Although most trekkers, including me, fly to Lukla, this book might cause you to consider the longer trek in from Jiri. There are several excellent photos of the Lhotse South Wall.

5. Mount Everest, Nanga Parbat, Dhaulagiri mit Dieter Porsche

by Dieter Porsche. Published 2009 in German. This is a day by day photographic coffee-table book of Dieter Porsche's ascent of Dhaulagiri in 2003, Nangpa Parbat in1999, and Everest South Summit in 2001. Each chapter begins with a brief history of the first ascent attempts and main ascents and photos illustrating Dieter's ascent route from a distance and close up.

The Everest chapter begins with a flight to Lukla and trekking to Phakding, Namche Bazaar, Tengboche and Dingboche with beautiful views of Ama Dablam, Lobuche, and base camp (5250m). After the puja ceremony, they do acclimatization climbs through the dangerous Khumbu Icefall to Camp I (6000m), Camp II (6400m), and Camp III (7300m) on the Lhotse Face. Before their final summit push they descend to a sad base camp with the news that Baba Chiri Sherpa had died and his body was being flown to Kathmandu. After waiting for a weather window, they ascend to Camp II, Camp III, and the South Col (8000m). They climb through the night and on May 22, 2001 at 10:00 Dieter Porsche and Helmut Hackl reached the Everest South Summit (8751m). But, without any more fixed ropes, the head Sherpa Dawa Chiri turns them around, and they descend back to the South Col and off the mountain.

Even if you can't understand German, the photos are excellent. I especially liked the detailed climbing routes, and that all aspects of the trek and climb are included, not just the highlights.

6. Climb Every Mountain

by Colin Monteath. Published 2006. Details 12 of Colin's treks over the years - Greenland, climbing Chongtar near K2 North Face, New Zealand Alps, Everest Kangshung East Face, Mount Kailash and Gurla Mandhata, northern Bhutan. Mongolia's Altai mountains, South Georgia on Shackleton's route, Tibet's Kangri Garpo mountain, ski traverse of Mount McKinley, Nepalese side of Kangchenjunga, and Tiera del Fuego and Patagonia.

There is a 20-page chapter on the trek from Kharta up the Karma Valley to the Kangshung East Face of Everest. There are also great photos of Makalu and Chomolonzo from the trek.

Colin's photos are excellent, especially a 2-page photo spread of Makalu, Chomolonzo, Lhotse and Everest.

7A. Nepal: The Mountains Of Heaven

by David Paterson. First published 1990. This large coffee-table photo book features Kathmandu and the author’s treks from Lamosangu to Lobuche Base Camp and Everest in 1979, the Annapurna Sanctuary in 1979, Rolwaling and the Tesi Lapcha pass to Gokyo in 1981, the Annapurna Circuit in 1984, Ganesh Himal in 1987, the Arun Valley from Hille to Makalu in 1988. The front cover is Ama Dablam.

The photos are very good, especially Ama Dablam, Taweche, Gokyo, Lhotse South Face, and Everest. There are also photos of the Manu Rimdu festival at Tengboche.

7B. Heart Of The Himalaya

by David Paterson. First published 1997. Medium-sized soft cover book features the author’s treks to Kangchenjunga and Jannu in 1992, Kali Gandaki Valley and the Thulobugin Ridge between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna in 1996. This book also features the treks from Nepal: The Mountains Of Heaven, with some new photos and some photos the same. The front cover is the Muktinath Himal.

The photos are very good, especially Ama Dablam, Nuptse, and Everest.

8. Himalayan Trails (Sentiers de l'Himalaya)

by Laurent Doldi. Published 2006. In French and English. A large soft-cover photo book detailing 10 Himalayan treks: K2 Base Camp (12 pages. 23 photos), Ladakh to Zanskar (16 pages, 38 photos), Jeep tour in Kinnaur Spiti and Ladakh (12 pages, 32 photos), the Sources of the Ganges in India (14 pages, 30 photos), Dolpo (18 pages, 36 photos), Around Annapurna (22 pages, 45 photos), Helambu and the sacred lakes of Gosainkund (16 pages, 29 photos), Rolwaling Valley in winter (18 pages, 37 photos), Everest Base Camp and Gokyo Lakes (20 pages, 41 photos), and Kangchenjunga Base Camps in Nepal (21 pages, 44 photos). Each chapter starts with a very brief overview including a map and altitude profile. The front cover is K2. There are 360 colour photos.

This is very good companion book to a trekking guide, enabling you to visualize what you will experience on a trek. The photos are very good.