Trevor Braham
Trevor Braham (born 22 April 1922), is a prominent figure in Himalayan exploration and mountaineering.
Braham joined the Himalayan Club in 1946, the Swiss Alpine Club in 1948, and the Alpine Club in 1951. He was Vice President of the Himalayan Club (1958–1965), Honorary Editor of the Himalayan Journal (1957–59) and was elected as an Honorary member of the Himalayan Club in 1980.
Trevor Braham's halycon years (1950–1972), corresponded with the Himalayan Golden Age when an international frenzy developed to achieve the first ascent of the world's highest peaks. He organized and took part in 15 Himalayan expeditions, including in 1954 a reconnaissance of the South West face of Kangchenjunga, the world's third highest mountain, which was first climbed by a British expedition in 1955. His numerous travels and explorations in little-known and isolated Himalayan regions included 3 visits to mountains in the tribal areas on Pakistan's North-West frontier, which were made in an environment and under conditions very different from those today and about which he has written numerous articles to the Alpine and Himalayan Journals. At the request of the editor of the Swiss Alpine Journal, he wrote an annual Chronicle of Himalayan activities during the years 1977-1985.
Trevor Braham has authored three books: Himalayan Odyssey (Allen & Unwin, 1974), When The Alps Cast Their Spell (Neil Wilson, 2004), Himalayan Playground (Neil Wilson, 2008). His second book won the Boardman-Tasker prize, awarded annually to the leading mountain book of the year. Its publication was followed by interviews with the press in Britain and Switzerland.
He has lectured to the Alpine and Himalayan Clubs, and to schools and societies in England, India and Switzerland. At celebrations held in India by the Himalayan Club in 2008, to mark the founding of the Club in India by the British in 1928, Trevor Braham was invited to be the principal speaker on the history of the Club.
Notes:
1. Peter Boardman, who died on Mount Everest in 1982, was a personal friend of Trevor Braham.
2. Erhard Loretan, who died in April 2011, a leading Swiss climber, and the 3rd person to have ascended the 14 highest summits of the world, requested Trevor Braham to translate into English his book, Himalayan Reflections, which was published in Switzerland in 1998.
3. Albert Eggler was leader of the Swiss attempt in 1952 to climb Mount Everest. On this death in 1998, his obituary, which appeared in the Independent of London, was written by Trevor Braham at the request of members of his family.
References
- When the Alps Cast Their Spell, Neil Wilson Publishing, 2004
- Himalayan Playground, Neil Wilson Publishing, 2008
- Himalayan Odyssey, Allen & Unwin, 1974