MOUNT EVEREST.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 June 1924, Page 3

MOUNT EVEREST.

ALTITUDE DIFFICULTIES

LOST A FAIR FIGHT

(Received this day at 11.25 a.m.) LONDON, June 29.

Only those who have had experience in mountaineering in these extreme altitudes, are able to realise the difficulties in the way of attaining the summit.

This vague declaration often appearing in Everest narratives is illuminated by Doctor Somerville’s detailed account of the extreme physical sufferings during Norton and Somerville’s last attempt, prior to the disaster. The climb commenced on May 80 and they actually attained a height of 28,000 feet. Somerville says they passed the night of June 2nd in camp, till five, and thereafter plodded wearily on reaching 20,800 feet on June 3, and pitched a tent on Rock’s ridge. Reniemliering how in 1922 at a similar. altitude, thirst destroyed their stamina, wo determined to start the final climb on the morrow with plenty of liquid fuel inside us. so we cooked a good brew of coffee and soup. Wo got going at. sunrise and trudged slowly up panting and slipping frequently and stopping for breath. The altitude was fast beginning to tell on us. When we got to 27,500 loci there was a sudden change. A little lower down we could walk comfortably taking three or four breaths each step Now there was as many as ten breaths necessary (for every single step. .Even at this slow rate of progress we had to rest a minute or two every twenty or thirty yards. At a level of somewhere about 28,000. L “told Norton I could not proceed further as my throat was now intensely sore and suggested that Norton should go on alone, but Norton himself was almost: done and sitting down. I noticed him slowly rise but how slowly, and after an hour he was barely eight feet above me. He soon returned aud we agreed reluctantly that the game was up, so with heavy hearts w« retraced our steps but slowly, for even downhill movement at this level was hard and breathless work. The view from the topmost point we reached was beyond words in its extent ami magnificence. Some of the highest mountains in the world were over a thousand feet he-' nouth us. One simply seemed above everything. We reached camp lour on the night of June I, both rather done in. with Norton fast developing snow blindness contracted during the climb, but we had nothing else to complain of. Wo had a gorgeous day for the climb, almost windless yet were unable to get to the summil, so we had no excuse. We were beaten in a fair light by the height of the mountain ami our own shortness of breath.