The case-history of a landslide in detritus in the Himalayan region is presented. An attempt is made to determine whether the in-situ shear strength of detritus along the surface of sliding, mobilised at limiting equilibrium, conforms to the shear strength of overall detritus material as such, comprising both the hard roch inclusions and the matrix soil or else by the shear strength of matrix soill alone. The study points out that in the effective stress method of analysis of landslides, which occur for the first time, the peak shear parameters of the matrix material govern stability at limiting equilibrium.