Peaks and Lamas has long been recognized as a remarkable account of two geographically related things: the climbing of the Himalayan peaks and the Himalayan Tibetan tradition of Buddhism. It was on a climbing expedition to the Ganges - Satlej watershed that Marco Pallis first began to study the lamas' teachings and way of life. He returned several times to the upper slopes, these latter journeys undertaken in search of further spiritual guidance. This book, with its elements of high adventure, its study of Buddhism, and its survey of Tibetan art and living, is invaluable for its undiluted, non-western view of the roof of the world.
Peals and Lamas also includes a series of stunning photographs taken by Pallis and his friends. Unavailable for thirty years, this remarkable text is now ready for a whole new generation of readers.

Peaks and Lamas: A Classic Book on Mountaineering, Buddhism and Tibet, Marco Pallis, Shoemaker & Hoard, Paperback, 1949/2004, 400 pp, $18.00

Marco Alexander Pallis was a Greek-British author and mountaineer with close affiliations to the Traditionalist School. He wrote works on the religion and culture of Tibet.