Mount Everest.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 September 1922, Page 4

Mount Everest.

In “Mount Everest—The Reconnaissance, 1921,” Lieutenant-Colonel G. K Howard-Ihiry describes the experiences of the advance guard sent to prepare the way for the main expedition which unsuccessfully essayed the conquest of the peak this year. Mount Everest, quite apart from the difficulties due to height and climate is an exceedingly hard nut to crack. Before ever the climber liegins the ascent he lias to overcome formidable obstacles. The mountain can 'only he approached through Tibet and Nepal—the former offers the most practicable route—and for king the Governments of these secluded and exclusive countries refused the necessary peUmssion to enter their territory. However, in 1920 a British political agent, who was oil very friendly terms with the Dalai l.ama prevailed upon 11 is Holiness to lift the ban, and one obstacle was removed. But others remained. The

“Roof of the World” lies amidst a tumble of peaks hardly its inferior in stature. It. is far from civilisation; the surrounding country is almost uninhabited, and supplies hate to be brought from a great distance. The season favourable for an attempt to scale the mountain is short, and a condition of a successful venture is that no time should lie wasted in false starts or preliminaries. The purpose of Colonel Tlmvard-Bnry's expedition was to spy out the land beforehand, organise supplies, and make various preparations, and prospect the mountain itself, with a view to discovering the easiest way lo the summit. Then it was to withdraw from the field, leaving the actual assault, on the peak hi the party which lias recently been compelled lo admit defeat. For its size, wo arc told. Mount Everest is a singularly shv and retiring mountain. It hides itsell away behind the other mountains. On the north side, in Tibet, it does indeed stand no proudly and alone, a true monarch among mountains. But it stands in a. very sparsely populated part of Tibet, and few people ever visit Tibet. From tho Indian side only its tip appears among a mighty array ot peaks which, being nearer, look higher. Consequently, for a long time no one suspected Mount Everest, ol being the supreme mountain, not only of Himalaya, but the world. For many years Kanchenjiinga was believed to he the highest. When the members of the great Indian Trigonometrical Survey made observations from tho plains of India of the peaks in Nepal which could he seen from there, they called each peak by its native name if it possessed one. lnif if the native name could not he ascertained the peak was christened hv. a Roman number. To Mount Everest was assigned the terse designate n o! "Peak XV.” The observations were recorded, but the resulting height was not calculated until some years, later when one day the Bengali computer rushed into the Sureeyor-GeneraTs room, breathlessly exclaiming “Sir. r have discovered the highest mountain in the world!” The height of Mount Everest was originally computed at 29.002 feet. Subsequent calculations have shown it to lie 29,1 II feet, and in the introduction Sir Francis Younghusband points out that the original error is easy to explain and reflects no discredit upon the worthy Bengali. The attraction of the great mountain mass of the Himalaya and Tibet pulls all liquids towards itself just as tho moon attracts the ocean, and the surface- of the water assumes an irregular form at the foot of the Himalaya. Tf the ocean were to overflow Norl’--ern India its surface would be deformed by Himalayan attraction. Tic liquid in levels is similarly effected and theodolites cannot consequently he adjusted with perfect accuracy. An allowance must be made for the error. Colonel Howard-Bury has written an extremely interesting narrative, although naturally iteontnins a certain amount of repetition. When he gets to the scene of operations one dry is very like another, and one mountain slope or glacier which the party ascended presented few points of diflerenee from the rest. The members oT tho expedition assembled at Darjeeling whither also came a small force of coolies from Nepal. The author mentions that the problem of equipping the latter with hoots was a troublesome one, for their feet were as hroid as they were long. Colonel T-Toward-Bnry also secured two reliable interpreters, one of whom had rather a curious history. Once he had been n captain in tho Tibetan army.

had left it, had joined U army, and lind subsequently served i -Egypt. He turned out to lie a n'l-

nseful person, and his knowledge of the manners and customs of the Tibetans, and particularly of their tendency to

procrastination and trickery, proved invaluable. The path of the expedition lay through very beautiful and diversified country. Sometimes it led them along verdant and dower-decked valleys, sometimes over lofty, windswept passes, sometimes along the edge of titanic precipices. And all around loomed tlie towering peaks, snow-clad, majestic, remote, and profoundly silent. Ever and again they came upon some quaint village at the river’s edge, some lonely outpost of yak-herds on the mountain sides, some strange -fortlike monastery or nunnery perched upon an inaccessible crag. Not the least interesting part of the book is the glimpse that it affords of the lives of these isolated people, who are virtually ruled l)j- the great Abbeys of Tiliet and their heads. With regard to Mount Everest itself, the author’s party established a camp at a height of 22,0t)0ft made an extensive reconnaissance, and observed a route to the summit which, as far as could he seen through the telescope, presented no very serious difficulties. Colonel flownrd-Bury is of the opinion that as far ns the actual na'turallya'jfoltheazf tiatu Rj.vjgdwjee I'onT climbing is concerned, Mount Everest would he relatively easy lor an experienced mountaineer, althougm neai the top some awkward rock has to he negotiated. But the chief barrier to success is its great height. Man can exist comfortably enough and is cap able of strenuous effort up to 23,000 feet or even higher. The Duke of Abrussssi has climbed to a height of over 24,500 feet. But it is the last few thousand feet that count. There it is hat the air becomes most rarefied, the atmospheric pressure most trying, and exertion most painful. Men in aeroplanes have risen to greater altitudes, but the two eases are not on all lours, because the mountaineer has laboriniisI Iv to carry himself and his equipment up the steep slope.-This, as the author foresaw, together with the intense cold and the possibility ol storms, would be a. more serious obstacle to success titan tlie physical configuration of the mountain. Although he considers that the 1922 expedition would have an excellent chance of reaching its goal, Indues not attempt to belittle the importance of the climatic factor. Ilis warnings on this score have been justified by the event. Tbe later expedition, although it established a record in altitude, was beaten not by tlie mountain, but, by tlie elements surrounding the unconquered peak. No notice of

this hook can omit reference to the magnificent photographs with which it is freely adorned; never lias tlie art cl the camera been displayed to bettor advantage.