EVEREST GAVE NO CHANCES

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21811, 17 June 1936, Page 11

EVEREST GAVE NO CHANCES

o EXPEDITION FORCED TO ; RETIRE VALUABLE NEW ROUTE DISCOVERED I i LONDON, June 15. | A copyright message from Mr! Hugh Ruttledge, leader of the Bri-1 tish Everest expedition, at Camp 11 on Monday says: I “The expedition must now depart. ■ Deep snow everywhere is rendering I ; a further effort useless, although | Smythe and Wyn Harris discovered a route which, I am convinced, will be of great value on a future occasion. Unhappily, it has been made in a season in which Everest has not given us a single chance. “Seven climbers ascending the icefall on the west side of the north col were prevented from examining the upper slope by clouds. Already ; there is evidence that the monsoon is so severe and the snow so deep j that Everest will be unclimbable i this year. j “Smythe and Wyn Karris yester-: day took advantage of a temporary j lull and took a light camp to a point | previously attained, just out of j reach of the avalanches, which are i pouring off the north col. The rush j of air from one nearly blew down | their tent during the night. This! morning they obtained a clear view of the slopes to the crest, and although the snow was too dangerous to make an ascent, they are satisfied that, given certain conditions, a safer and more direct route could be made on this side. Smith-Windham andi I, with porters, went up half-way to i the ice-fall and formed a similar opinion.” !

Sir Percy Cox, chahman of the Everest Committee, commenting on the telegram from Mr Ruttledge. says: “The committee’s regret will be shared by Britons throughout the world, as the conquest of Everest had become a national enterprise on which all heat Is were set. The expedition’s splendid composition and equipment justified every hope as far as human agencies were concerned, but an early monsoon and a heavy snowfall prevented the reoccupation of the north col, which was originally occupied with unusual ease a week ahead of schedule. It produced impossible conditions which no previous expedition had ever suffered.”

The committee is telegraphing to Mr Ruttledge sympathising with him in his lamentable ill-fortune, stating that it recognises that no leadership and mountaineering skill could have averted the result, and congratulating the members of the expedition on emerging from their critical experiences without a casualty.