PROBLEM OF MOUNT EVEREST.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17633, 9 December 1922, Page 13

PROBLEM OF MOUNT EVEREST.

A THIRD ATTEMPT ANTICIPATED".

CONFIDENCE IN SUCCESS. (froh ovr own correspondent.) LONDON, October 19. Four papers, illustrated by splendid lantern slides,- were read at a joint meeting of the Royal Geographical Society and the Alpine Club, presided over by Lord Konaldshay, who announced that the Tibetan Government had given permission for a third expedition, which would be sent out in due course. He expressed his confident belief that, with the knowledge already gained, the summit of Mount Everest could and would be reached. This note of optimism was later echoed by Captain Finch, the explorer who, with the aid of oxygen, reached a height of 27,235 feet, or within about 17C0 feet of the summit. Concluding his account of the second and last attempt to reach the summit, he said* "The.great mountain, with its formidable array of defensive weapons, had won; but, if the body had suffered, the spirit was still whole. Beaching a point where we obtained our last view of the 'Goddess Mother of the Snows,' Geoffrey Bruce bade his somewhat irreverent adieux with 'Just you wait, old thing; you'll be in for it soon'—words that are still expressive of my own sentiments."

Eight members of the expedition were on the platform—Brig.-General the Hon. C. G. Bruce (chief of the expedition, Colonel Strutt, Dr. Long staff, Mr G. Leigh Mallory, Captain George I. Finch, Captain Noel, Captain Geoffrey Bruce, and Dr. Wakefield. Brig.-Gen. Bruce dealt with the ar rangements made at Darjeeling whence the start was made—the careful selection of porters and cooks, supplies, etc., including the oxygen cylinders. Before leaving Darjeeling all the members of the expedition received the blessing of the local Lamas and Brahmins. A great gratification was the kind telegram received from the Pope: "May God who lives in the heights bless the expedition." The Dalai Lama's permit described Mount Everest as Chha-malung-mo, which had been interpreted as "the place of the fe male eagle," or, alternatively, "the place where it is so high that even a bird goes, blind when he goes there." , "After the, very deep tropical valleys, it is .very strange to emerge at Gnatongj" said General Bruce, "into what one might almost describe as uplands, from which more or less minor peaks rise, the whole , country giving one quite *an impression of the Scottish Highlands in spring, both from the colouring and from the amount of snow on the mountains themselves." At Phari the first contract had to be made for moving the enormous collection of stores by the local transport. Ultimately the transport consisted of some 320 mules, yaks, cows, and donkeys, helped by fifteen or twenty coolies. Mr Crawford and Captain Finch remained behind at Kalimpong to bring on the oxygen. Phari was left on April Bth in bad weather. On April 11th Kampa Dzong was reached, and the party was joined by Captain Finch and Mr Crawford, who had had a very rough time crossing the Jelep. Every member of the expedition was provided with a riding pony, as it was round that continuous walking without rest on these heights was likely not to improve the condivton but to exhaust, whereas, a mixture of riding and walking would gradually acclimatise and bring them into training. "At Shekar D'zong we found an enormous nurnbsr of Lamas,- and I think that the priests were even dirtier, if possible, than at Phari Dzong. If you happen to smack a young Lama in a friendly way on the back, say, a flake of dirt falls off. They are perfectly astonishing in their dirt; This, however, does not apply to the TJzongpens or others of position, for in this part of Thibet the.Dzongpens wash on New Year's nlight, and. I think —I think—their wives do also. A Nine-faced Lama. "Our last maroh up the Dzakar Ohu intoithe Rongbuk Valley," said General Bruce, '"was exceedingly interesting. The valley itself is deadly bare and barren, and the mountains are great horible bumps with nothing on them. The Head Lama of Rongbuk was a very interesting character. He is of extreme sanctity, and pilgrimages are made to bis monastery. He has the distinction of being an inoarnation, not of Buddha, but of a god, the God Ohonfiaysay, who owns no less than nine ices, and this particular lama himself is reputed to .be* able to change his face as he likes. He received us extremely well, and was a most striking and interesting old gentleman, with perfect manners and perfect courtesy—far the finest type that we had yet struck. Of course, there was the usual Tibetan tea. This is most appalling, having butter, generally rancid 1 , salt, and other ingredients added, and the whole churned up before being served." One thing that was proved on the expedition was that woollen garments are not sufficiant for very great heights, and that it is necessary to have windproof outer c-othes. The experiences of the expedition must very much modify the scientafio outlook on the power of ascending to great altitudes, on acclimatisation, and on the manner in which oxygen should be employed. A Problem of Pace. A base was established near the Rongbuk Glacier at a height of 16,600 feet. Owing to the work of the reconnaissance of 1921, «nd the fine survey carried out by Major Morshead and Major Wheeler, the leaders- of the expedition krjew fairly well the line of their advance. "The whole problem of climbing Mount Everest was . one of pace. Owing to the severity of the winter, and early spring, it would not pay to start earlier than wft did, and, in fact, we had a quite low enough, temperature as it was on our arrival in our base camp. In a good year w© could count on respectable weather only up to June Ist? In an early year' the weather might break up any time after

June Ist. So that the problem was really a race against the monsoon." After describing the, difficulties encountered in securing suificient additional porters rind in moving up stores to the camps, General Bruce continued: "The approximate heights were: The baso camp, 16,'oCOft: Camp 1., 17.800 ft; Camp 11., 19 800 ft; Camp 111., 2l',(M)lt. This required the most continuous hard work. I do not think ever before in the history of Himalayan exploration have men Seen called on to do harder, or even as hard work. I tuink their performance was absolutely without precedent. Finally, the whole of the limbing party was assembled at Camp III.." "Very Soul of Utter Desolation." Lieut.-Col. E. L. Strutt, second in command of the expedition, in his report on the experiences of himseif and the rest of the paity, aeputed to find a 6ite for No. 1 Camp and on other expeditions, gave a description of the scenery in the neighbourhood of the East llouiibuk Glacier, with Everest, which "suddenly burst on us in all his majesty at a distance of only about two miles," in which he said: "The scenery can be described as the very soul of utter desolation. To the south towers Everest, or rather the eastern half of the north face. This small portion is alone double or treble in sisse of any mountain that I have seen in Europe: the shoulder, point 27,390, is the highest point visible, and appears overwhelmingly remote, although not two miles distant."

Mr J. L. Mallory, telling of tho climb to 2S,9S5ft without oxygen said: "Perhaps the most significant fact was that three of us, after climbing to a height only about 2003 ft below the summit, had felt no special distress. TV') other considerations must engage our attention, because tliey affect the problem of climbing Mount Everest; tho dangers involved and tlie weather. This years expedition has emphasised the dangers. It has tragically pointed to. the danger of an avalancne on the way up to the North Col- About the other dangers it is necessary to say more, because they must vitally affe t the organisation of any attempt to climb the mountain. Everyone will remember how Morshead's collapse compromised our plan of descent, .uis failure was a comolete surprise to all of us, and, in view of it, I think a party of the future should reckon that some such experience may happen to any one of them. The only valid precaution against such an event is to have another party in reserve at the camp from which the first climbers have started. Perhaps it is not impossible for men to rea?h the summit of Mount Everest, In spte of wind and' weather, but, unless the weather can m**l the habit we observi-cl this year, or grant a long respite, their chances of reaching it and down in safety are aßloo small." Tortures of Tantalus. Captain J. I. Finch, desor.-h'ng bow he, with Captain Bruce, -eichod the greatest height of 27,23-sft, s*.d: "Though 1700 ft below, we \>ere will within half a mile of the summit, to close, indeed, that we could : distinguish individual stones on a little patch of scree Tying just underneath the highest point. Ours were truly the virtuies of Tantalus; for, weak from hunger «nd exhausted by that nightmare struggle for life in our high camp, wt were m no fit condition to proceed. Indeed, 1 knew thai "2 we were to persist in climbing on, even if only for another 500 ft, we should not both pet bnrl alive. The decision to retreat once taken, no time was lost, s»nd, fearing lest another accidental interruption- in the oxygen supply might lead to a slip on the part of either of us, we roped together."