THE HIMALAYAS

Hokitika Guardian, 18 August 1930, Page 3

THE HIMALAYAS

LESSONS OF FAILURE

(United Press Association—By Electric telegraph—Copyright j.

LONDON, August 16

.Major Smy.ue, of the Himalaya expedition, summing; up the experiences of the Kinchinjunga fixpediton, declares that when political prejudices I ahd difficulties are overcome, Northern and North Eastern Nepal will be a most interesting field for the explorer and mountaineer. There was indisputable evidence of a former ice age in the huge terraces in the Llionak Valley. He points out that the expedition. made several mistakes. It did not give sufficently long notice of departure in order to recruit the bestcoolies from remote villages and iooli.silly split into three separate parties, causing great difficulties in maintaining communications. It would have done better to have started after the monsoon, and so have avoided winds which lower the vitality and demoralise the climbers. Among the technical lessons, the most important was that several layers of light clothing were preferable to heavy suits, and hoots should not be too heavy, arid should he sparsely nailed. Sugary foods were the most suitable .diet. He added : “The . men who will force their way to the summits of Everest and Kinchinjunga will be capable of disciplined minds as well as bodies. They will he genuine philosophers, who experience in'mountaineering, something far greater and finer than the mere physical jav of struggling with inanimate objects.”