Kumaun is often confused with the other parts of Garhwal--indeed there is no official border to demarcate the region. Its eastern boundary runs along the Kali river which separates India from Nepal. The tributaries, Kuthi, Darma and Lassar, flow into the Kali at different points. The Kali valley is now a standard trade route from India into Tibet over the Lipu Lekh pass. There are many famous valleys like Milam, Pindari and Sunderdhunga. There are beautiful peaks like Panch Chulis, Chiring We and Hardeol.

The centre-piece of Kumaun region is, without doubt, the Nanda Devi Sanctuary. Until 1934 the gorge of the Rishiganga and the immediate area around Nanda Devi was the least known and most inaccessible part of the Himalaya. The early Indian surveyors and mountaineers alike were unable to penetrate the Inner Sanctuary. The book details the entire history of exploration and climbs into the Sanctuary.

This book is based on author's several visits to Kumaun, exploring its valleys and climbing peaks. It concentrates most valuably on extremely rewarding summits, unknown passes and remote valleys, which have been hitherto neglected due to lack of information or difficulty of access.

Complete with several maps, illustrated with many photographs, tables of road distances and trek routes, this book is an exhaustive reference work on this area. The author's experience in Kumaun takes one to transformation of Kumaun from an ancient civilisation to a tourist destination. The book will be essential reference for all travellers, trekkers, mountaineers and historians interested in Kumaun or as a simple armchair travelogue.

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 About the author... Harish Kapadia began climbing and trekking in the range around Bombay, the Western Ghats. His first visit to the Himalaya was almost 35 years ago. He has never looked back since, still trekking and climbing actively. His main contribution to Himalayan climbing has been to explore unknown areas and, in a number of cases, to open up climbing possibilities. Some of his major ascents have been of Devtoli (6788 m), Bandarpunch West (6102 m), Parilungbi (6166 m), and Lungser Kangri (6666 m). He has led five international joint expeditions, four with the British and one with the French.
Harish Kapadia has made a unique contribution to our knowledge of the Himalaya: as editor of the Himalayan Journal, one of the most authoritative and comprehensive records of exploration activity in the Himalaya; and through his numerous books and as a leader and organiser of countless expeditions over the years. He has written with deep knowledge about his Himalayan journeys in his 12 books and several articles that are erudite and practical, skillfully combining historical, geographical and practical guidance to increase our understanding of the region. His books Exploring the Hidden Himalaya (with Soli Mehta), High Himalaya Unknown Valleys and Meeting the Mountains cover his various trips to the Himalaya, climbing and trekking in different regions. He is the editor of the prestigious Himalayan Journal for the past 20 years.
He was elected Honorary Member of the Alpine Club, London. He was a Vice-President of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (1997-1999) and was awarded the IMF Gold Medal in 1993. He was honoured with the Royal Medal the “Patron’s Medal”, by the Royal Geographical Society ‘for contributions to geographical discovery and mountaineering in the Himalaya’. He was the first Indian to receive this award after 125 years. He was invited to several countries to lecture on his Himalayan exploits and is a member of several organisations.
Harish has a degree in Commerce, Law and Management from Bombay University.