CLIMBING EVEREST.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 137, 12 June 1922, Page 5

CLIMBING EVEREST.

RECONNOITRING THE ROUTE. THREE CAMPS ESTABLISHED. ; DESERTION OF THE PORTERS. (By Cable.— Tress Association.—Copyright.) (Rcceir-ed 1 p.m.* LONDON", June 11." General Bruce, leader of the Everest expedition, reports that considerable progress has been made by the Everest expedition since his last dispatch. Improving weather is heartening 1 everybody, he says; the temperature at night is usually twenty-five degrees of frost, and the weather conditions curious. "It is really spring time »t Rongbuk, at almost 'the highest elevation in the world, yet we have not wen or heard an avalanche. All the great enow-laden, ice-bearing peaks remain stable, yet a few hundred miles westward conditions are entirely diircrent, resembling European conditions, the high mountains being almost unapproachable. Thus, although the conditions in the Eastern Himalayas appear favourable for exploration they really arc not t-o, owing to diHioultics with our coolie*, of whom only forty-five materialised when wanted. Tliey worked for two days, and then alleged" that their food was exhausted. We were obliged to allow them to descend to fetch more food, under a pfuarantce that they would return, but instead of returning they made a beeline for their homes in Kharta Valley, thirty miles to the eastward. All set to work to make up the transport shortage. '■Meanwhile Strntt. Morahead, Norton, and LungstalV started to make : ' <-•"">• plete reeonuai-anee for camps at the loot of the North Col, which was curried out satisfactorily. Three ramps have been established." the first, placed above the junction of the. east and main Kongbuk Yallcye .-it 17.000 ft. Lamp number two was established at 10,360 ft, eastward of the Ronirbuk glacier. "We then reconnoitred a line of advance along the l.roken side of the glacier, descending from a peak marked ■J-J,."iSOft on the ridge dcr-cendin.j mirthward from Everest. Leaving Lonj-'etafi to consolidate camp number two, the remainder pushed up the left bank of tlie Hast Kongbuk glacier, which presents a scene of wild contusion, being intersected by enormous crevasses. After half a mile we found a trench a hundred feet deep and four hundred wide, rendering progress south-eastward apparently impossible. The party turned south, and reached the left bank ..f the main glacier, with an overcast sky and in intense heat. Latitude attacked most of the party, but we struggled on until we eneoiiutercd vertical seraes three to five hundred feet high, rendering further progress again impossible. Morshead enterprisingly and skilfully found, en route homeward, a negotiable 7>anHige through the trench southward, ensuring a feasible route for the morrow, "The party returned to camp number two on the 7th, and departed on the morrow. Taking advantage of Morihead's discovery we proceeded to the main glacier, with Kvercst towering above. Suddenly a view of the. North •Col burst into bight; simultaneously wo sighted northward of the broad moraine a covered shelf under the hiL r h but eafeelilfs of the north peaks of Changtse, 24,730 ft high. This spot was readied at midday, and camp number three was established at about 21.000 ft. The party then studied the route to the North Col. which should not prove difficult, thotr'h it is a big task. Meanwhile, at the main camp, owing to the desertion of the Tliibrlnn coolies all hands, including the kitchen staff and phntoLTui'hie porters, started for camp number three. "Apart from influenza among porters the health of the party is excellent, and there is every hop? of surmount ing the extra work thrown on the remainder of the party. The next task is to fully provision the camp at the North Col." —■ ("Times.")