Augusto Gansser

Professor Augusto Gansser, who died in 2012 aged 101, was a Swiss geologist, researcher and adventurer whose explorations led to new insights about the origins of the great mountain ranges. Early on in his life this modest man began to document his work and life in words, sketches and photographs. His first diary dates back to 1929, the beginning of his career as a geologist. 80 years later, the stock of his diaries and field notebooks is impressive.

They tell of the adventurous trip to Eastern Greenland in 1934 when his team of geologists got stranded on the pack-ice for several weeks. They speak of demanding excursions in the Himalayas - barely investigated in the mid-thirties; of his artistry at disguise when he entered Tibet, at the time still closed to foreigners, disguised as a monk to bring back valuable rock samples from the Kailas, the holiest mountain on planet earth. They speak of excursions to Columbia and Trinidad, and the discovery of giant oil deposits as geologist-in-chief under the Shah of Persia. They tell of the friendship with the Bhutanese King's family and their support in allowing him to be the first to map their country. And this book speaks of all these adventures.

There is an immense wealth of photos, sketches and field reports in this lavish book. Ursula Markus accompanied her father Augusto Gansser on many trips. As editor she researched the immense image material for the book, and with the well-known journalist Ursula Eichenberger the eventful life of Gansser is described.