The Evidence of Things Not Seen

The Evidence of Things Not
Seen is the autobiography of remarkable mountaineer, writer and
environmentalist W.H. Murray. After being introduced to climbing in his
early twenties, Murray's relationship with the outdoors was shaped as much by
his time on the mountains as away from them. His early Scottish climbs were
brought to a halt by the Second World War, which saw him spend three years as a
Nazi prisoner of war. These years were devoted to not only to philosophical
study, but also to writing his classic Mountaineering in Scotland
not once, but twice, on toilet paper.

The time to write about
mountains only fuelled Murray's enthusiasm to climb them. The regeneration in
mountaineering that followed the war saw Murray complete three Himalayan
expeditions, alongside other iconic figures such as Doug Scott, Tom MacKinnon
and Tom Weir, and Eric Shipton. He not only explored Himalayan peaks never
before attempted by westerners, but also established the crucial Khumbu Icefall
route up Everest, which paved the way for the mountain's first ascent in 1953.

Later life saw Murray return to
Scotland and begin the fight to conserve the wild places that motivated him.
From pioneering the John Muir Trust to fighting threats to forestry, Murray's
writing is laced with a philosophical edge and a contagious appreciation for Scotland's
wild places, capturing the essence of why Murray's work has been inspiring
readers for decades.



Written just before his death in
1996, and with a foreword by renowned Scottish mountaineer Hamish MacInnes, The
Evidence of Things Not Seen is a must-read for anyone for which the
mountains are still a source of wonder.