Physical geographical research results (glaciological, climatological, geomorphological, paleoclimatological) from South Tibet and the Great Himalaya to the North are presented in three sections: 1. Description, typification and glacial climatological interpretation of recent glaciation and its mass distribution; 2. Comparison of recent ridge types, explanation of their development and their categorization in genetic series; 3. Depiction of the history of glaciation in reverse chronological order back to the point of maximum inland glaciation in Tibet during the last Great Ice Age about 60 000-20 000 years ago. This point shows that the terrestrial energy loss caused by the reflection of the sun's irradiation from these ice surfaces was what really set off the ice age.