MOUNT EVEREST.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 13 December 1924, Page 16

MOUNT EVEREST.

EXPLORERS’ STORY

ENDURANCE AND SACRIFICE

Lefore the Royal Geographical Society and Alpine Club at tne Albert riaii, London, members of the Mo.ua Jwerest Exepdition recently gave clie story of tneir great achievement. Lai the full narratives of the mountaineers showed how the high traditions of British adventure were maintained by their heroic efforts. Vividly told, they revealed the sequence of events leading to the sacrifice made by two garlam members of the expedition “m the most terrific of all mountaineering history.’* Brigadiei-Geiieiai C. G. Bruce, tne original leader, who was obliged through illness to relinquish the command at Tuna and hand it over to Colonel Norton, drew attention to the results of the expedition. It was perfectly clear, .he said that the summit of Everest could be reached certainly with oxygen, and in aii probability without it. Uho would have thought four years ago that men could climb without oxygen to over'2B,oooft. r Uho would have thought that three ascents between 25,(K10ft. and 27,000fi. would have been accomplished within, same week by the same climber r And who, again, could possibly have forecast that .men were to be found who could possibly carry loads to a height of 27,000 ft ? A slight addition had also, been made to the geography of the mountain. The West Rongbuk Glacier and its neighbourhood had been surveyed, and other additions to the map had been made. At the head of the Dzakar Chu another great Himalayan gorge had been further exploied. Captain Geoffrey Bruce. wlic,m Colonel Norton described as the man “who virtually took them across Tibet to the biotin tain and well up its slopes to the higher glacier camps’’ continued the story, which was carried farther by Colonel Norton hmisolf, ivlio described Ins climb with Mr Somervell to 28,(KX) feet. Becoming snow blind, he took no lurther part, in active operations, and so Mr Odell, who played a notable part in the filial stage, gave a description of the last climb of Mallory am. Irvine.

Co,one! Norton said that Somervell shared witli Mallory the distinction ol having been one of the mountain’s two most formidable antagonists. His physmal toughness was remarkable, h, o-reached a height of nc-arlv M,o(A)ft., and was the only one of thosv who went high to be absolutely unaffected. But Somervell had—as had Mallory—a moral reserve on which he drew co make good any physical disabilities, so that it hardly mattered whether he was fit or not—he was always fit to go.high on Everest; and it was this reserve of determination which carried him this year to the i\oi tli col, and later to a height of ou.. teed without oxygen. He went on to speak ot the other members <\i the expedition.

H Odell, giving a description of • clie last climb of Mallory and nvine, said at 8.40 on .the morimig oi June 6. in brilliant . weather, Manorv and Irvine Jett tiie North L'cl Camp foi Camp V. They took with them liveporters carrying- provisions and reserve oxygen cylinders. Tney used oxygen, and, in tne opinion of the porters' iravelied well. Un June i, when they were going from Camp \.to VI i e went up in support to Camp V. boon after his arrival Mallory’s lour porter-, arrived from VI.-, bringing him a message which said that they had useu but little oxygen to 27,(mu., that the weather promised to De perfect for tne monow s ciimb, and that lie. was sorry tile cooking stove had rolled, down the mountain side just as they were 1-eav-mg .Qarap V—which meant a. cold supper and breakfast for him (Mr Oden/ or/hA’,\r odell described how, at about -6,(XX)ft.. he climbed a little crag, which could possibly have been circumvented, but which he decided to tackle direct, more, .perhaps, as a test or nis condition than for any other reason. 1 nere was, perhaps, lOuft. or it, ana as he reached tne top there was a sudden clearing above him, and he. saw the whole summit ridge and final .peak of Everest unveiled. He ■ noticed, lai away on a snow-slope leading up to the last step but one front the bah;, oi the final pyramid, a tinv obieet mo,-im> and approaching the rock step, a second object followed, and then the 'first climbed to the top of the step. “As I stood intently watching this dramatic appearance,” Mr UdeLl conunued, the soene became enveloped m cloud, and I could not actually be certain that I saw the second, figme join the first.- 1 was surmised above all to see them so late as* this —name--12-50—at a Ppift that, according to Mallory s schedule, should have been reached by. 10 a.m. at latest. I could see that they were moving expeditiously, as if endeavouring to make up I'd lost time. True, they were moving one at a time over what was’ apparently moaerately difficult ground, but one cannot definitely conclude from this that they were roped —an important consideration in any estimate of what berell them. I had seen that there was a considerable quantity of new snow covering some of the upper rocks near the summit ridge, and this may well have caused delay in the ascent.' Burdened as, they undoubtedly were with the oxygen apparatus, these snowcovered debris-sprinkled slabs may have given them trouble. The oxygen apparatus itself may have needed "repair or readjustment either before or after thev left Camp T’l.. and so have delayed them. Or both of these factors may have been operative.” Mt Odell showed how a watch was kept for Mallory and Irvine, and how on reaching the tent at Camp VI. he found everything as he had left it two days previously. “After a couple of hours’ search,” he continued, “I realised that the chances of finding the missing men