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 Seenis a must-read for anyone for which the mountains are still a source of wonder.

W.H. Murray is one of Britain’s most significant mountain writers. Born in Liverpool in 1913, he soon moved to Glasgow, where he was later introduced Scotland’s mountains. His pioneering early climbs in the 1930s came to a halt at the outbreak of World War Two, in which he saw combat in Africa before being captured as a Nazi prisoner of war. He spent three years as a captive, but was not idle, devoting much of his time to philosophical study and meditation. It is during this time he wrote his classic Mountaineering in Scotland not once, but twice on toilet paper. After his release he went on to complete three expeditions to the Himalaya in the 1950s. One of these, his 1951 Everest Reconnaissance Expedition, established a route up Everest via the Khumbu Icefall, paving the way for the first ascent in 1953. The remainder of Murray’s life was devoted to writing about and conserving the wild places he loved. A founding member of both the Scottish Countryside Activities Council and the John Muir Trust, he also acted as advisor on mountain properties for the National Trust for Scotland, and was President for both the Mountaineering Council for Scotland and the Scottish Mountaineering Club. He was a prolific writer, publishing twenty books and countless articles. These include the classics Mountaineering in Scotland and Undiscovered Scotland, as well as his autobiography, The Evidence of Things Not Seen, for which he posthumously won the Grand Prize at the Banff Mountain Book Festival 2002. These remarkable achievements ensured that he continues to inspire readers old and new to this day.

Born in 1930, Hamish Maclnnes OBE is a Scottish mountaineer with a leading climbing record. He has made many first ascents in Scotland, including the 1965 first winter traverse of Skye's Cuillin Ridge, alongside Tom Patey, Brian Robertson and David Crabbe. In 1973 he climbed the infamous prow of Roraima in Venezuela with Don Whillans, Joe Brown and Mo Anthoine. He has taken part in seven expeditions to the Himalaya, and was deputy leader on Chris Bonington's 1975 Everest South-West Face expedition on which Dougal Haston and Doug Scott made the first British ascent. In addition to around twenty world-class expeditions, he found time to invent items of advanced mountain-rescue equipment including the MacInnes stretcher and specialised ice-climbing hardware such as the Terrordactyl ice axe. MacInnes founded the Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team in 1961 and served as team leader for over thirty years. An internationally renowned rescue expert, he also founded the Search and Rescue Dog Association and has been the honorary secretary of the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland, an honorary member of the Scottish Mountaineering Club and holds four honorary doctorates. He has authored an impressive thirty-five books, illustrated with his beautiful photography for which he has become renowned, and has also contributed to hundreds of documentaries and films, including The Eiger Sanction, Highlander and The Living Daylights.

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