EVEREST EXPEDITION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19292, 3 April 1926, Page 9

EVEREST EXPEDITION

MEDAL FOR THE LEADER. GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY AWARD. (Received 5.5 p.m.) Renter. LONDON, March 31. The Royal Geographical Society has awarded a founder's medal to Lieu-tenant-Colonel Edward F. Norton for his leadership of the, Everest expedition in 1924. He took charge of the expedition when Brigadier-General C. G. Bruce was compelled to relinquish tlie command owing to illness.

The expedition to Mount Everest in 1924 started from D.irjeeiing on March 26. Brigadier-General Bruce was seized with an illness soon afterwards and Colonel E. F. Norton assumed the post of leader. The attempt to scale the great, mountain, like previous ones, failed. Two members of the party, M essrs. Mallory and Irvine, lost, their lives. Subsequently Colonel Norton saidMallory and Irvine were lastseen at a height of more than 28,200 ft.. at (he top of a little cliff of the iast ridge, the only place in the final ascent where one might expect to find actual climbing difficulties. It was loose, unsafe rock, and there was a fall of fresh snow. "I would define the place." said Colonel Norton, "not as difficult, but dangerous." Discussing the general achievements of the expedition, Colonel Norton said he thought it had filled in all the gaps in the requisite knowledge except one. They now knew both that they could sleep'in comparative comfort at 27,000 ft. and that the porters could carry loads to the same altitude. These were proven facts, though they had been thought impossibilities two years before. The only gap unfilled was the question of the use "of oxygen. Did oxygen pull its weight? Though he would not make a final pronouncement, it was clear that Colonel Norton had grave doubts. He said that if he were climbing the mountain again he would make a final dash along the ridge where Mallory and Irvine were last seen, instead of below it, where he had tried in company with Somervell. Mountaineers, he said, gained a strons? stimulus from being An a ridge with wonderful prospects on either side, and though, in actual fact, another 800 ft. has to be done before the summit would be reached, Colonel Norton said that morally there was only 500 ft. There was one stiffish climb along the final ridge, and then a comparatively gentle ascent of 300 ft. to the summit. "When the beginning of that gentle slope is reached the summit is reached. The moral effect of seeing victory within reach will act as a counter-irritant to the effects of the altitude and the climbers, thus fortified, will ho able strongly to press on to their goal.