A Guide to the Pyrenees Charles Packe 1867 Second Edition Maps Illustrated
 
Second edition, much enlarged and considered by bibliographers the most accomplished text version of Packe’s classic Pyrenean guide. Scarce in original cloth with coloured geological material and folding maps.
 
Title & Bibliographic Details
Full title: A Guide to the Pyrenees: Especially Intended for the Use of Mountaineers
Author: Charles Packe
Date: 1867
Edition: Second Edition, Rewritten and Much Enlarged (May 1867)
Publisher: Longmans, Green, and Co., London
Printer: Spottiswoode and Co., New-Street Square, London
 
Illustrated with:
• Frontispiece engraving of Lac de Portillon d’Oô
• Coloured geological map of the Chain of the Pyrenees
• Coloured diagram of Geological Epochs
• Folding map south of Luchon
• Large folding map of the Central Pyrenees in rear pocket
 
Historical & Bibliographic Context
Charles Packe’s Guide to the Pyrenees is one of the foundational works of nineteenth-century mountaineering literature. Published at a time when scientific geology and Alpine-style exploration were transforming travel writing, Packe’s guide combined practical route knowledge with geological insight and first-hand observation.
Bibliographers including J. Labarère and Dendaletche regard this Second Edition (1867) as the most accomplished and textually important version of the work. It was rewritten and much enlarged from the first edition of 1862, incorporating expanded scientific content and refined descriptions of the Pyrenean chain.
This book belongs to the great Victorian tradition of exploration, travel, and natural science, and stands at the crossroads of mountaineering history, geology, and early adventure tourism.
 
About the Author
Charles Packe (1826–1896) was an English mountaineer, geologist, and explorer best known for pioneering ascents in the Pyrenees and for producing one of the earliest serious guidebooks to the region. His work helped establish the Pyrenees as a destination for scientific and sporting travellers.
Packe is collected today for his role in the development of mountaineering literature and Victorian geological travel writing.
 
About the Maps & Illustrations
This copy retains:
• The engraved frontispiece of Lac de Portillon d’Oô
• A coloured geological map of the Chain of the Pyrenees
• A coloured Geological Epochs diagram
• A folding map south of Luchon
• A large folding map of the Central Pyrenees in the rear pocket (present, with tears but complete)
The separate Les Monts Maudits pocket map originally listed for the front pocket is now absent.
 
Binding & Exterior Description
Bound in original red textured cloth with gilt decoration, gilt title, and original price (7/6) in gilt on the front board. The binding is intact with visible but honest wear: bumped corners, fading to cloth and spine, light marks, and small rips at the head and tail of the spine. Strong shelf appeal.
 
Interior Condition
Coloured pastedowns and endpapers. Pages lightly tanned, generally clean and neat with only occasional light foxing or small marks.
The large fold-out map in the rear pocket has multiple tears but is complete with no loss.
There is a very small inner-margin rip on page 31 of the publisher’s catalogue at the rear.
Pencil inscriptions appear throughout with dated entries from June 1874, suggesting the book was actively used during travel in the Pyrenees. Notably, the rear endpaper contains a pencil note referencing £20 entrusted and returned in June 1874, adding a vivid human layer to the book’s travel history.
The front free endpaper is not present. All xx + 201 pages of main text plus publisher’s catalogue are complete. Pages are secure with only a very light gutter crack at the front pastedown.
 
Physical Details
Pagination: xx + 201 pp + publisher’s catalogue
Illustrations: Frontispiece + coloured maps + folding maps
Dimensions: approx. 17.5 × 12.5 × 1.9 cm
Weight: approx. 277 g
 
Rarity & Collector Notes
Charles Packe’s Guide to the Pyrenees is a cornerstone work of nineteenth-century mountaineering and Pyrenean exploration. While the 1862 first edition is exceptionally rare, bibliographers such as Labarère and Dendaletche consider this Second Edition (1867), rewritten and much enlarged, to be the most accomplished and textually important version of the book.
In the UK antiquarian trade, this title is genuinely scarce and rarely encountered in original cloth with coloured geological material and folding maps. In France, it is actively collected within the specialist Pyrenean and mountaineering field.
This copy is especially desirable for:
• Its original publisher’s cloth with gilt price
• Its coloured geology and folding maps
• Its large pocket map of the Central Pyrenees
• Its period travel inscriptions dated 1874, suggesting contemporary use in the region
Although one originally listed pocket map is now absent, the presence of the principal maps and the strong historical interest make this a scarce and important retail copy of a respected Pyrenean classic, rarely seen in the UK market.
 
Provenance
Multiple dated pencil notes from June 1874 suggest active use during a Pyrenean journey. The financial note on the rear endpaper referencing £20 entrusted and returned adds a fascinating glimpse into Victorian travel practice and personal logistics. This is a working explorer’s copy, not a shelf ornament.