CHANCE FOR EVEREST CLIMBERS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 210, 2 June 1936, Page 9

CHANCE FOR EVEREST CLIMBERS

Weakening of Monsoon

ADVANCE UP GLACIER RESUMED

By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.

(Received June 1, 7.50 p.m.)

London, May 31.

Mr. Hugh Rultledge, leader of the Everest expedition, in a wireless message to the “Daily Telegraph” from Camp 1, says: A report from the meteorologist at Alipore on Friday indicated a temporary weakening of the monsoon. Simultaneously the wind in the Ml. Everest region veered strongly to the northwest and began blowing snow in great sheets from the mountain. This is an opportunity not to be missed, and the climbing party is resuming its advance up the East Rongbuk glacier. English experts point out that In the most favourable circumstances it will take the party from seven to eight days to reach tire summit. They will face a double peril, first, a continuance of north-west winds, in which, it has been stated, no man can live, and secondly, a return of the monsoon snows, which bring avalanches and may cut off the climbers from their base. The climbers, therefore, can only succeed if the north-west winds now blowing the snow from the mountains drop before they reach the higher ridges, and the lull in the monsoon lasts until they have safely descended. Mr. Norton, leader of the 1924 party, is of opinion that the climbers still have a chance of success. It will take two days, if conditions improve, to reach Camp 3, another to Camp 4. They may push on to Camp 5 next morning, and make Camp 6 on the sixth day. It will take two days to climb the last pyramid, but it might be done In one with luck. Norton recalls that conditions are almost identical with those in 1924, but. then there was no wireless and the party could not discover whether it was the monsoon or a local disturbance. Mr. Ruttledgc considers that if the monsoon arrives in earnest while the present climbers are high things will be black indeed.