Heroes Of Discovery

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 23, 27 January 1940, Page 16 (Supplement)

Heroes Of Discovery

On a June day nearly sixteen years ago, a man stood on the should t <1 ugreatest mountain, straining his eyes as he Watched Itvo small black „ / • B,or W s slowly up the slope above. Eventually they passed from sighF T? 8^ 8 nobody has seen George Mallory and Andrew Irvine. Perhab< 11,™°™ l j"? &: conquering Mount Everest and died on its summit. Succecdcd

The assaults on Mount Everest form a chapter in exploration not r previously referred to in this f series. To some men, the danger- li ous, the unfamiliar, the apparently h unattainable, is a challenge that C cannot he denied. They must pit 1 their courage and their endurance f against any odds to achieve success. s So it has been with Everest.- t This century has seen the veil t: drawn away from the secrets of b the Poles. Man has penetrated ? into the hidden mysteries of every 1' continent. By sea, by land, by '' air, man has roamed to the farthest corners of the globe, but one r point on the earth's surface has '' eo far delied all attempts to reach it. e

venture. This time BrigadierGeneral Bruce was the leader, and Mai lory was again 0110 of the climbers. Starting from the old camp in the Kharta Valley, they fought their way up,* establishing their la*?t camp only JJOOO feet below the summit. Again conditions were too bad. There was sickness and bad frostbite among the climbers, and the attempt had to be abandoned. Another expedition went out in the same year. The same camps wore used and the highest camp was actually pitched at the level where Mai lory had been compelled to turn back a few months before. ; Finch and Captain Bruce were the men to make the final ascent, ' and they described that night in the highest camp as the worst in their lives. The wind seemed to seize the tent and shake it with uncontrollable violence, so that they had to hold on grimly the whole time if they were not to be swept down . thousands of feet into the valley below. At times the ground-sheet with the men lying on it was lifted bodily from the ground by the » force of the draught that whistled , beneath them. They stayed in this bleak spot for another night in the hope that the weather might improve. Then i they made their bid for the summit. The surface became worse, the cold more intense and the wind stronger. They were only 1700 feet from the top and about a quarter of a mile away. Could they go on?

After a long journey the party reached the Kharta Valley at the foot of the mountain and established their headquarters. From here the upward fight began. Camps were established, first at 17,350 feet, and then at 22,350 feet. From here Mallory and Bullock set out fo explore possible routes to the summit. Far up the mountain they went, and as the weather became steadily worse they struggled on to the main col itself. l'"rom here they had to retreat or leave their bones on the snow. They had found out what terrible obstacles had to be overcome, but they were convinced that the mountain could bo conquered. In the following year another expedition set out on the great

This is the summit cf Mount Everest, the highest point of the Himalayas, and the highest mountain in the world. It soars to a height of 21), 110 feet above sea level. For many years now it has exercised a curious, and at times, a fatal fascination over the explorer. To stand on the topmost pinnacle of the earth's surface— what an achievement to be accomplished. The first years after the Great War saw the first serious attempt to conquer Everest. From the start there were difficulties. The mountain is situated in that land of secrets—Tibet—and it was necessary to obtain formal permission to make the expedition. On tlio Tibetan side there is a plateau of 12,000 ft, gradually rising towards the foot of Everest and bringing the climber to within 40 miles of his goal. The proposal was to establish a well-equipped base camp at the top of the plateau so that the party could start oil fresh with nothing but the climb before them. > The expedition assembled at Darjeeling in India in May, 1921. Permission had been obtained from the Tibetan authorities, and the expedition was organised by the Koyal Geographical Society. The leader was Colonel Howard-Bury, and there were four other climbers, Kaeburn, Kellas, Mai lory and Bullock. Kellas, however, died on the way, and Eaeburn became ill.

The gradiant was two feet in three, the air was so rarified that It sapped their strength. The freezing wind numbed their fingeio, and it was soon apparent that to continue the climb meant death. They took the wiser course and returned. ihe next expedition was in 102-1. General Bruce was again ill command, and the party" included Mallory, Geoffrey Bruce, A. h. Odell and Andrew Irvine attempt was made on the same lines as in previous years. The general plan of attack was for two climbers to start from the fourth camp on the North Lol, pitch a tilth at 22.500 feet and return. Two others were to «et out for camp 0, and from there climb to 27.000 feet and establish camp 7, while two others

wore establishing a sixth camp at 2G,500 feefc. The final attack was to be made by three pairs, one ready to follow the other from camp 4. Terrible storms and the reluctance of the native porters to go further upset the arrangements, so a dash was made from camp G, which had been established at 20,800 feet. They had only 2000 feet to go, but what a distance it was in expenditure of energy. Every step required from seven to ten breaths, while the most they could do without stopping to rest was thirteen steps—and not often that. Once again men struggled to within half a mile of the roof of the world, only to be driven back. It was the turn of Mallory and Irvine. On June 0 they set out from camp 5. Odell followed slowly in support. lie was to proceed to camp 0 and wait for the return of the other two. Just before he reached camp 0, Odell saw the other two through a rift in the clouds. lie watched them for a time. Then they disappeared from view. They have never been seen again.