Preface

Mountains have impressed and fascinated men by their majesty and mystery. They also constitute the frontier of human occupancy as the home of ethnic minorities. Of all the continents, it is Asia that has a profusion of stupendous mountain ranges _ including their hill extensions. It would be an immense task to grasp and synthesise such a vast physiographic personality. Thus, what this monograph has attempted to produce is a mere prolegomena towards providing an overview of the regional setting along with physical, cultural, and economic aspects. The text is supplemented with regional maps and photographs produced by the author, and with additional photographs contributed by different individuals working in these regions.

I wish to thank ICIMOD for giving me this opportunity to learn more about the mountains. Therefore, I would like to express my appreciation to Mr. Egbert Pelinck, Director General, for the assignment and Dr. Mahesh Banskota, Deputy Director General, for the necessary support. Kathmandu is not the ideal location to search for literature on mountains beyond the Hindu Kush-Himalayas. This made me venture beyond, to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. In Bangkok, Mr. Kiran Pyakuryal made it possible for me to use the ESCAP Library, despite it being closed for the ESCAP's annual session. In Kuala Lumpur, Ms. Siti Rafeah Shamsudin of the APDC Library was most helpful. The regional maps were fine-tuned by Mr. A. K. Thaku of ICIMOD. Mr. Chandra Man Singh of New ERA typed the draft. I wish to thank them for their cooperation.

Harka Gurung