Aleister Crowley - Mountaineer

In March 1902, Oscar Eckenstein and Crowley undertook the first attempt to scale Mount Godwin-Austen, later, Chogo Ri (known in the west as K2), located in Pakistan, and Eckenstein had set out to teach Crowley about the techniques of climbing. The Eckenstein-Crowley Expedition consisted of Eckenstein, Crowley, Guy Knowles, H. Pfannl, V. Wesseley, and Dr Jules Jacot-Guillarmod.

They attempted a summit assault on June 8, and after eight days, weather conditions were taking their toll. Two months in, they found themselves back down on the plain, which made this Crowley's first recorded defeat. Crowley did locate the proper path for the best ascent of Godwin-Austen (now, K2), as used by later higher climbs by the US in 1938 and 1952 and to the successful summit assault by the Italians in 1954.

In May 1905, he was approached by Dr Jules Jacot-Guillarmod (1868 - 1925) to accompany him on the first expedition to Kangchenjunga in Nepal, the third largest mountain in the world. Guillarmod was left to organise the personnel while Crowley left to get things ready in Darjeeling. On July 31 Guillarmod joined Crowley in Darjeeling, bringing with him two countrymen, Charles-Adolphe Reymond and Alexis Pache. Meanwhile, Crowley had recruited a local man, Alcesti C. Rigo de Righi, to act as Transport Manager. The team left Darjeeling on August 8, 1905, and used the Singalila Ridge approach to Kangchenjunga. At Chabanjong they ran into the rear of the 135 Indians/Central Asians who had been sent ahead on July 24 and July 25, who were carrying food rations for the team. The trek was led by Crowley, but four members of the party were killed in an avalanche. Crowley's autobiography states they reached about 25,000 feet.