ATTACK ON EVEREST

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 February 1939, Page 2

ATTACK ON EVEREST

■XNOTDEII BRITISH EXPEDITION

Another assault on Mount Everest the world's highest peak, is likely to be made by British climbers this year. Mr. AV. H. Tilman, leader of the recent expedition, which was repulsed by the elements, is now stated to be on his way to Tibet, on whose frontiers Everest, stands. His object is to see the Political Officer in Sikku.m, and obtain permission to organise this year’s expedition. Mr. F. S. Smythe, a member of Mi'. Tilman’s party, mentioned this to a newspaper representative on his arrival in Bombay from Colombo. Mr. Smythe is returning to England from his third attempt on Everest. lie has visited India on three occasion to scale other peaks in the Himalayas. The conquest of Everest lie said, was an ideal worth striving for. He agrees with Mr. 'Tilman that the only way to do it is to continue the effort year after year with a smaller personnel of climbers, hoping that the clerk of the weather will shed his wiles. Mr. Smythe did not think that, an aeroplane could be of any great use to climbers on Everest, though an aeroplane was being employed to drop provisions and flash weather messages lo the Gorman climbers on Nanga Pfirbut. For one tiling, ii would ho unsafe for aeroplanes to fly over great heights, and especially so in the treacherous weather conditions of Everest.

Lord Clydesdale, who had considerable experience of mountaineering and aviation, Q.nce told him that if an aeroplane was forced to land at great altitudes it would lie difficult to take off again owing to the rarefied atmosphere.

The Government of India lias made pcrinancnt arrangements lo sui'eguard the memorials erected near the village of Tatlo, in Chillis, to the members and porters who lost their lives during the. German Nanga. Parbat expeditions of 1.934 ami 1937.