William Woodman Graham
Encyclopedia
William Woodman Graham was a British
mountaineer
who led the first pure mountaineering expedition to the Himalayas
and may have set a world altitude record
on Kabru
.
Motivated by adventure rather than a desire for fame, Graham had little interest in publicising his climbs, and as a result relatively little is known about his life and achievements. He is known to have climbed extensively in the Alps
, reaching most of the major summits and making the first ascent
of the Dent du Géant
in 1882.
However, his application to join the Alpine Club
was rejected for reasons which are unclear, but the size of the majority against him suggests that he had made influential enemies.
, Graham made a visit to the Himalayas in the company of Alpine guide
Josef Imboden. While many of the lower mountains of the Himalaya had been climbed by surveyors and explorers, mainly to make observations of more distant peaks, Graham was the first person to visit the range solely for the purpose of mountaineering. He spent the spring trekking in the region of Kanchenjunga, but he was forced to return to Darjeeling by the cold weather and the fact that a porter
had accidentally burned his boots.
Once in Darjeeling, Imboden, who had contracted fever, was replaced by the Swiss
guides Ulrich Kaufmann and Emile Boss, who had made the first ascent of Mount Cook the previous year. At the end of June the party set off for Garhwal
where they explored the region around Nanda Devi
. Unable to penetrate the Nanda Devi Sanctuary they turned their attention towards Dunagiri
, where Graham claimed to have reached a height of around 22,700 ft (6,920 m) before being forced to retreat by bad weather.
Graham and his companions next attempted a nearby peak, which they believed was the one marked on the map as A21, now known as Changabang
. They made an ascent by the West Ridge, which Graham described as "a fair climb, but [one that] presented no great difficulties." Modern observers, however, agree that whatever mountain Graham climbed it was not Changabang, which from the west presents a sheer wall which was not climbed until 1976, and certainly not the easy ridge that Graham described. It is more likely that he was on the wrong mountain; possibly a subsidiary summit on the southern ridge of Dunagiri.
Graham's confusion was partly due to the poor quality of the maps of the area, and on his return to civilisation he was critical of the Great Trigonometric Survey
, suggesting that its surveyors should be trained in mountaineering by the Swiss Army, whom he credited with the finest cartographic work in the world at the time. The criticism was not well received by the Survey, and it may have made Graham more enemies to cast doubt on his accomplishments.
After the Garhwal trip, Graham and his companions returned to the Kanchenjunga area for the climax of their campaign; an attempt on Kabru, which Graham claimed to have climbed by the East Face in three days, reaching the summit on 8 September. Kabru, at 7,349 m (24,111 ft), was far higher than any other mountain climbed at the time, and its ascent was and remains the most controversial aspect of Graham's expedition. Doubt was cast on whether he really had climbed this mountain or whether he had mistaken a nearby, lower mountain called Forked Peak (6,200 m, 20,340 ft) for Kabru. His ascent was doubted by members of the GTS, and by contemporaries including Martin Conway and William Hunter Workman (both of whom had rival claims to the world altitude record). However, it was supported by climbers such as Norman Collie, Thomas Longstaff and Douglas Freshfield
— Freshfield having travelled extensively in the same area himself. In his history of Himalayan climbing Kenneth Mason argued that Graham had not climbed Kabru, pointing to the vagueness of his description of the mountain, inconsistencies between his account and modern observations of the mountain, the remarkably quick ascent he claimed, and the fact that he appeared to have suffered little or no altitude sickness on his ascent. In a more recent history, Walt Unsworth argued that the vagueness of Graham's account was to be expected from a man who was a mountaineer rather than a surveyor, and that now Mount Everest
has been climbed in a single day without oxygen, Graham's claims seem less outlandish than they once did, so that he should perhaps be credited with the ascent after all. The controversy remains unresolved.
in the United States
, but in fact he served as British Consul
in Durango
, Mexico
, from 1910 until 1932. The year of his death is unknown.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
mountaineer
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
who led the first pure mountaineering expedition to the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
and may have set a world altitude record
World altitude record (mountaineering)
In the history of mountaineering, the world altitude record referred to the highest point on the Earth's surface which had been reached, regardless of whether that point was an actual summit. The world summit record referred to the highest mountain to have been successfully climbed...
on Kabru
Kabru
Kabru is a mountain in the Himalayas on the border of India and eastern Nepal. It is part of a ridge that extends south from Kangchenjunga.The main features of this ridge are as follows :* Kangchenjunga south top, 8476 m, at...
.
Motivated by adventure rather than a desire for fame, Graham had little interest in publicising his climbs, and as a result relatively little is known about his life and achievements. He is known to have climbed extensively in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, reaching most of the major summits and making the first ascent
First ascent
In climbing, a first ascent is the first successful, documented attainment of the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route...
of the Dent du Géant
Dent du Géant
The Dent du Géant is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in France and Italy.The mountain has two summits, eighty-eight feet apart and separated by a small col :*Pointe Graham , first ascent by W. W...
in 1882.
However, his application to join the Alpine Club
Alpine Club
The first Alpine Club, founded in London in 1857, was once described as:Today, Alpine clubs stage climbing competitions, operate alpine huts and paths, and are active in protecting the Alpine environment...
was rejected for reasons which are unclear, but the size of the majority against him suggests that he had made influential enemies.
Himalayan expedition
In 1883, shortly after he had qualified as a barristerBarrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, Graham made a visit to the Himalayas in the company of Alpine guide
Mountain guide
Mountain guides are specially trained and experienced mountaineers and professionals who are generally certified by an association. They are considered experts in mountaineering.-Skills:Their skills usually include climbing, skiing and hiking...
Josef Imboden. While many of the lower mountains of the Himalaya had been climbed by surveyors and explorers, mainly to make observations of more distant peaks, Graham was the first person to visit the range solely for the purpose of mountaineering. He spent the spring trekking in the region of Kanchenjunga, but he was forced to return to Darjeeling by the cold weather and the fact that a porter
Porter (carrier)
A porter, also called a bearer, is a person who shifts objects for others.-Historical meaning:Human adaptability and flexibility early led to the use of humans for shifting gear...
had accidentally burned his boots.
Once in Darjeeling, Imboden, who had contracted fever, was replaced by the Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
guides Ulrich Kaufmann and Emile Boss, who had made the first ascent of Mount Cook the previous year. At the end of June the party set off for Garhwal
Garhwal Division
Garhwal is the north-western region and administrative division of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand which is home to the Garhwali people. Lying in the Himalayas, It is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Kumaon region, on the south by Uttar Pradesh state, and on the north-west by...
where they explored the region around Nanda Devi
Nanda Devi
Nanda Devi is the second highest mountain in India and the highest entirely within the country ; owing to this geography it was the highest known mountain in the world until computations on Dhaulagiri by western surveyors in 1808...
. Unable to penetrate the Nanda Devi Sanctuary they turned their attention towards Dunagiri
Dunagiri (mountain)
Dunagiri is one of the high peaks of the Garhwal Himalayas in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. It lies at the northwest corner of the Sanctuary Wall, a ring of peaks surrounding Nanda Devi and enclosing the Nanda Devi Sanctuary....
, where Graham claimed to have reached a height of around 22,700 ft (6,920 m) before being forced to retreat by bad weather.
Graham and his companions next attempted a nearby peak, which they believed was the one marked on the map as A21, now known as Changabang
Changabang
Changabang is a mountain in the Garhwal Himalaya of Uttarakhand, India. It is part of a group of peaks that form the northeast wall of the Nanda Devi Sanctuary. It is a particularly steep and rocky peak, and all routes on it are serious undertakings. It has been the site of many significant climbs...
. They made an ascent by the West Ridge, which Graham described as "a fair climb, but [one that] presented no great difficulties." Modern observers, however, agree that whatever mountain Graham climbed it was not Changabang, which from the west presents a sheer wall which was not climbed until 1976, and certainly not the easy ridge that Graham described. It is more likely that he was on the wrong mountain; possibly a subsidiary summit on the southern ridge of Dunagiri.
Graham's confusion was partly due to the poor quality of the maps of the area, and on his return to civilisation he was critical of the Great Trigonometric Survey
Great Trigonometric Survey
The Great Trigonometric Survey was a project of the Survey of India throughout most of the 19th century. It was piloted in its initial stages by William Lambton, and later by George Everest. Among the many accomplishments of the Survey were the demarcation of the British territories in India and...
, suggesting that its surveyors should be trained in mountaineering by the Swiss Army, whom he credited with the finest cartographic work in the world at the time. The criticism was not well received by the Survey, and it may have made Graham more enemies to cast doubt on his accomplishments.
Douglas Freshfield
Douglas William Freshfield was a British lawyer, mountaineer and author, who edited the Alpine Journal from 1872 to 1880...
— Freshfield having travelled extensively in the same area himself. In his history of Himalayan climbing Kenneth Mason argued that Graham had not climbed Kabru, pointing to the vagueness of his description of the mountain, inconsistencies between his account and modern observations of the mountain, the remarkably quick ascent he claimed, and the fact that he appeared to have suffered little or no altitude sickness on his ascent. In a more recent history, Walt Unsworth argued that the vagueness of Graham's account was to be expected from a man who was a mountaineer rather than a surveyor, and that now Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
has been climbed in a single day without oxygen, Graham's claims seem less outlandish than they once did, so that he should perhaps be credited with the ascent after all. The controversy remains unresolved.
Later life
After Kabru, Graham attempted several other mountains in the area, but the onset of winter prevented him from making serious progress on any of them. He disappeared from mountaineering history after his year in the Himalayas, and after making his initial report of his Himalayan expedition he never made any further comment or engaged in the ensuing controversy. For many years it was rumoured that he lost all his money and ended his days as a cowboyCowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, but in fact he served as British Consul
Consul (representative)
The political title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries...
in Durango
Durango, Durango
-Climate:The city of Durango has a semi-arid climate, classified as Bsk in the Koppen system. The climate is temperate in the western portion , with the average annual temperature being 15 °C and consisting of an average annual rainfall of 1,600 millimeters. In the eastern region, the average...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, from 1910 until 1932. The year of his death is unknown.