UKC

The Greatest Himalayan Mountaineer you’ve never ever heard of…! 

Well who exactly could this be?

In reply to Sean Kelly:

By definition I don't know. Do share.

In reply to Pedro50:

Well it may not be that familiar a name, but he certainly deserves to be better known. I will let on later when I see all the guesses!

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Norah Batty?

In reply to JimR:

Roger Marshall?

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Cliff Bergschrund

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Charlton Chestwig.

T.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Sir Hugeley Havering?

In reply to Sean Kelly:

I should perhaps add that this is not a spoof post. I'm serious.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Brian Blessed.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

DJ Viper

In reply to Jamie Hageman:

I would second Roger Marshall.

In reply to Myfyr Tomos:

Binder, surely?

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Frank Smythe.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Dunno...but I imagine they're Nepalese not Western; and certainly not British

In reply to Darron:

Probably right, but status counts...

In reply to Sean Kelly:

it must be Bear  Grylls 

In reply to koolkat:

Well done for perfectly inverting the sentiment of the OP!!

In reply to Sean Kelly:

I would have a guess but I can't name anyone that I've never heard.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

The one having the most fun?

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Viscount Archibald Terrence-Grifter-Smythe??

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Alister Crowley.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Duke of abbruzzi

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Bill Tilman

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Last 3 names posted are very well known.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

How well known?  Ang Rita Sherpa?  Babu Chiri Sherpa?

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Is it me?

In reply to Sean Kelly:

I'm beginning to think that it's Chester Clickbait.

T.

In reply to Sean Kelly:Hugo Fyrst 

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Come on Sean, do tell us please.  Harish Kapadia?  

In reply to Jamie Hageman:

Problem is that once named, you have heard of them so the answer becomes someone else.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

William Fordyce?

Orla Geary?

Anna Purna?

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Well if it’s not Binder is it Renata Casarotto?

In reply to Darron: Maybe he hasn't heard of them? 

In reply to Sean Kelly: Well I'm going to say Nicolas Jaeger mainly for his Peruvian solos but also for skiing from over 8000m on Everest way back in 1978 and since you don't know about him check out his alpine solos as well 

http://www.nicolas-jaeger.com/nicolas-jaeger-eng.html

Roger Marshall was also a very good call

In reply to Hillseeker:

Please be aware his name is only correctly spelled when written entirely in capital letters 

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Presumably it's a lady? Because there are a few but they rarely get publicity 

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Nobody even remotely close, but keep the suggestions coming.

In reply to CantClimbTom:

The OP says "he certainly deserves to be better known" so I guess that narrows it down a bit. Going to be disappointed when it turns out to be someone I have heard of!

In reply to Sean Kelly:

I'd make a pitch for Alexander Kellas, but then I've heard of him, which in terms of the OP means it can't be him.  Which just shows how daft the original question was.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

The yeti?

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Nah.  Pointless game and bored now

In reply to Moacs:

Quite.  All a bit 'look at me' now.

T.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Kami Rita Sherpa has summited Everest 19 times I think, so surely must be in the running.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Sean Villanueva o'Driscoll

Understated, under reported, has the craic while scalping peaks,  f*ucking legend, also plays the tin whistle 

In reply to Only a Crag:

Mmm quite well known, there's been a video on here

In reply to Bob Aitken:

Well done Bob. We eventually got there. Well unless you have encountered his biography by Mitchell & Rodway from 2011 his achievements have slipped under the radar. Article to follow when my research is finished. A short synopsis below...

1907 - Kashmir: Pir-Panjal range; Sikkim: Zemu glacier, Grunsee, Simvu (6816 m, unsuccessful) (Alpine Journal 34, 408)

1909 - Sikkim: Pauhunri (7125 m, unsuccessful), Jongsang la (6120 m), Langpo (6950 m), Jongsang peak (7459 m, unsuccessful) (Alpine Journal 34, 408)

1911 - Sikkim: Sentinel peak (6470 m), Pauhunri (7125 m), Chomoyummo (6829 m), Dhanarau peak (5790 m) (Alpine Journal 26, 52, 113; Geographical Journal 40, 241)

1912 - Sikkim: Kangchenjhau (6920 m) (Alpine Journal 27, 125)

1913 - Kashmir: explored access to Nanga Parbat via branch of Ganalo peak (little information available)

1914 - Garhwal: approaches to Kamet (little information available)

1920 - Garhwal: Kamet (7756 m, unsuccessful by 500 m) Sikkim: Kang la (Alpine Journal 33,312; Geographical Journal 57, 124, 213)

1921 - Sikkim: Kabru (7338 m, unsuccessful) Start of Everest Reconnaissance Expedition

In reply to Sean Kelly:

All that, and he was a member of the SMC too ...

For UKCers who haven't come across him, Kellas also gets a very fair assessment in Wade Davis' Everest tome, Into the Silence.

Glad to help draw a line under your teasingly provocative thread -

Bob

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Sorry Sean, even as someone who has no pretensions about being an expert in Himalayan mountaineering, I’ve read mentions of Kellas is several books. 

9 references in The Mystery of Mallory & Irvine (Tom Holzel and Audrey Salkeld). Best part of a page in Colin Wells' Who's Who in British Climbing. 4 references in George Band's Everest book.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Kellas?! 

You should have entitled this thread 'The Greatest Himalayan Mountaineer _I've_ Never Heard Of.'. 

Kellas gets his due in Unworth's 'Everest', among other references.

In reply to Rob Parsons:

Not to mention the Press & Journal last year...

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/lifestyle/3183715/aberdonian-alexander...

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Ai Sclymba. 

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Mountain Spirit?

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Well, Scottish climber Bruce Normand has made more first ascents and new routes on 6000m peaks than anyone alive (many of them solo), summited K2 w/o O2 or Sherpas, and won the Piolet d'Or.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Gianluigi Lentini, the greatest winger you've never heard of.