SUCCESSFUL ASSAULT ON KANCHENJUNGA

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27924, 22 March 1956, Page 9

SUCCESSFUL ASSAULT ON KANCHENJUNGA

LECTURE BY DEPUTYLEADER An illustrated lecture on the climbing of Mount Kanchenjunga, in March last year, by a British expedition led by Dr. Charles • Evans, was given by Mr N. D. Hardie, the deputy-leader, in the Repertory Theatre. Mr R. W. Cawley, chairman of the Can terbury-Westland section, of the New Zealand Alpine Club, presided. Mr Hardie outlined the history of unsuccessful attempts on the mountain by previous expeditions from . 1905 onwards. He described, with the help of coloured slides, how the expedition leaders, with more than 300 Sherpa porters, organised the carrying loads, and tackled the problems of staging camps at various heights. Mr Hardie said that small British expeditions m;.de unsuccessful attempts in 1953 and 1954. Last year Dr. Charles Evans volunteered to lead another expedition. Mount Kanchenjunga, which is 28.150 ft high, lies on the border of Nepal and Sikkum. Mr Hardie said that the approach to the mountain could be made only from the Nepalese side. Permits were not issued to climbers by the Sikkum State, and the region of the summit was forbidden territory. Therefore the climbers had compromised by stopping short five feet from the top on a flat snow shelf. Mr W. P. Packard proposed a vote of thahfcs to Mr Hardie.