MOUNT EVEREST.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 256, 28 September 1932, Page 7

MOUNT EVEREST.

“AIUST FALL TO AIAN.” BRITISH EXPERT CONFIDENT. Commenting on the fact that another British expedition is to endeavour to scale Alount Everest in 1933, Sir Francis Younghusband, who has had a long experience of the Himalayas and Tibet, expresses the opinion that this fourth attempt will be successful. “Everest must fall to man,” says Sir Francis. “It cannot escape its doom.” Sir Francis, who was defeated in his attempt to scale the world’s highest peak years ago, points out that the mountain cannot grow higher or employ new weapons, but man can profit by his experience.

As General Bruce, who led two attempts to conquer Afount Everest, decided not to undertake the leadership again, saying that it was a young man’s job, Air Hugh Ruttledge acceptod an invitation to become the leader of an expedition. Air Ruttledge knows tho Himalayas well. Ho was formerly deputy commissioner of the Alinora district in the Himalayas. He will not, however, take part in tho final attempt to reach tho summit (29,141 ft., or more than 5j miles above the sea). Alt Ruttledge will devote himself to organising the transport of food and equipment from the base camps to the advanced camp, at a height of 25.000 ft. or so, from which the final effort will be made. These supplies will be carried up by Gurkha and Bhotia porters. Air Ruttledge’s knowledge of tho languago of the porters and of their habits will prove of great value. Alt. Everest is actually in Tibet. The permission of the Dalai Lama for the ascent has been secured. One of the great difficulties of tho climb is the vast scale of the Himalayas, and the Jong disfances over which supplies have to be carried. The first reconnaissance party was sent to Alt. Everest in 1921. In 1922 a climbing party led by General Bruce, attacked the mountain from the Tibetan side, and Alessrs Alnllory, Somerville and Norton reached 26,800 ft. In 1924 a party, using oxygen, reached 27,200 ft. Messrs Mallory and Irvine were killed in a snowslide. As Mr F. S. Smytho puts it in his account of the ascent -of Kamet (25.477ft.),' the real difficulty begins above 23,000 ft. And on Everest there is more than 6000 ft. to climb after that.