Daren
Heinrich Harrer is best known for his book Seven Years in Tibet, his friendship with the Dalai Lama, and his mountaineering book the White Spider. Here Harrer tells of his expeditions in the Dutch Papua (now West Papua, in the control of Indonesia). At the time of writing the other (eastern) half of the island was the Territory of Papua, administered by Australia after Germany was forced to give it up after World War II.
Harrer spent around 6 months there early in 1962, his efforts comprising three separate expeditions, all described in this book.
The first was an overland expedition to reach and then climb the highest mountain on Papua, the Carstensz Pyramid (4,884 m) later named Puncak Jaya. This was previously unclimbed, and they went on to climb a great number of other peaks, many snow-capped. He was joined on this expedition by Russell Kippax, an Australian whose role was expedition doctor; Bert Huizenga, a Dutch Patrol Officer and New Zealand mountaineer Philip Temple (a prolific author - I have read a number of his books).
The second was an overland expedition to the source of the stone axes - a quarry where the natives obtain their stone, the location of which they were very secretive about. Phil Temple continues on this section of the expedition too.
The third, which Harrer undertakes with Dutch geologist Gerard van der Wegen, is to travel through the Baliem Gorge, previously un-travelled by Europeans and through very hard jungle to the far coast of Papua where Michael Rockerfeller had recently disappeared in circumstances not clear at the time.
The three expeditions are well described by Harrer. There were no end of trials and tribulations on these journeys - personally he was injured very badly in a fall down a waterfall, very lucky to have survived, his perseverance admirable. Harrer mixes excellent description of the tribes people, anthropology (albeit probably amateur), great descriptions of the jungle, the rivers, the mountains.
The book includes some very good photographs (for the time) - some in colour and some in black and white, and plenty of maps of reasonable quality. There is no index in my edition (1965 Rupert Hart-Davis).
Harrer is a good observer, and comes across as very even handed with his description of the natives. The book title refers to stone-age people, but this is not intended to be derogatory, it is a fact that these tribes live the way our ancestors did twenty or thirty thousand years ago. Harrer treats all those who porter for him well (albeit that authority is maintained and men engaged to carry out a task must do so to be rewarded), but you can't help feel that the giving of steel axes, knives, beads and the like instigates a change to what Harrer finds so fascinating about them. He discusses this in the Epilogue a little, noting to these people the steel axe is a status symbol, but the tribes value their function no more than stone axes - the fact the work is carried out much faster is of little benefit to them - time is not a commodity in their lives like it is in ours.
I enjoyed Harrer's book. It reminded me I should re-read his Tibet books, which I read decades ago and have little recollection of (other than Brad Pitt's movie). For those looking for Harrer's mountaineering, this one is fairly light on that.
4.5 stars.
Heinrich Harrer is best known for his book Seven Years in Tibet, his friendship with the Dalai Lama, and his mountaineering book the White Spider. Here Harrer tells of his expeditions in the Dutch Papua (now West Papua, in the control of Indonesia). At the time of writing the other (eastern) half of the island was the Territory of Papua, administered by Australia after Germany was forced to give it up after World War II.
Harrer spent around 6 months there early in 1962, his efforts comprising three separate expeditions, all described in this book.
The first was an overland expedition to reach and then climb the highest mountain on Papua, the Carstensz Pyramid (4,884 m) later named Puncak Jaya. This was previously unclimbed, and they went on to climb a great number of other peaks, many snow-capped. He was joined on this expedition by Russell Kippax, an Australian whose role was expedition doctor; Bert Huizenga, a Dutch Patrol Officer and New Zealand mountaineer Philip Temple (a prolific author - I have read a number of his books).
The second was an overland expedition to the source of the stone axes - a quarry where the natives obtain their stone, the location of which they were very secretive about. Phil Temple continues on this section of the expedition too.
The third, which Harrer undertakes with Dutch geologist Gerard van der Wegen, is to travel through the Baliem Gorge, previously un-travelled by Europeans and through very hard jungle to the far coast of Papua where Michael Rockerfeller had recently disappeared in circumstances not clear at the time.
The three expeditions are well described by Harrer. There were no end of trials and tribulations on these journeys - personally he was injured very badly in a fall down a waterfall, very lucky to have survived, his perseverance admirable. Harrer mixes excellent description of the tribes people, anthropology (albeit probably amateur), great descriptions of the jungle, the rivers, the mountains.
The book includes some very good photographs (for the time) - some in colour and some in black and white, and plenty of maps of reasonable quality. There is no index in my edition (1965 Rupert Hart-Davis).
Harrer is a good observer, and comes across as very even handed with his description of the natives. The book title refers to stone-age people, but this is not intended to be derogatory, it is a fact that these tribes live the way our ancestors did twenty or thirty thousand years ago. Harrer treats all those who porter for him well (albeit that authority is maintained and men engaged to carry out a task must do so to be rewarded), but you can't help feel that the giving of steel axes, knives, beads and the like instigates a change to what Harrer finds so fascinating about them. He discusses this in the Epilogue a little, noting to these people the steel axe is a status symbol, but the tribes value their function no more than stone axes - the fact the work is carried out much faster is of little benefit to them - time is not a commodity in their lives like it is in ours.
I enjoyed Harrer's book. It reminded me I should re-read his Tibet books, which I read decades ago and have little recollection of (other than Brad Pitt's movie). For those looking for Harrer's mountaineering, this one is fairly light on that.
4.5 stars.