EVEREST DEFIANT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11247, 27 June 1922, Page 7

EVEREST DEFIANT

AN lIHPBSSIBLE TASK CLIMBERS UNDERGO TERRIBLE OK DEAL. A GRAPHIC NARRATIVE. By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright Published in "The Times." LONDON, June 25. A report from the base camp at Rongbuk on June 2nd gives the story of the attempt of Mr Finch and Captain Brute to teach the summit- of Mount Everest. tTlie summit is approximately 29,000 feet high. Another party, sent out to establish advanced camps, had reached 27,200 feet.) The report says:— “Wc moved up to camp No. 3, at 21.PJ0 feet, carrying oxygen apparatus. There we tested the apparatus, and fognd that only one set out of ten was fit for use. We contrived to get four others by dismantling the sets and reassembling the sound parts. Walking leisurely and easily, wo out-distanced our companions, and it might have been a pleasant alpine walk at 10,000 feet, instead of 21,000 feet. The attempt began on Ilay 23rd, when wo set out for the North Col, at the foot of which we met Mallory’s party returning tfrom their record-breaking climb. We readied the north-east shoulder, 25,500 feet high, and there pitched a camp. In the meantime a snowstorm had been rapidly working up, and it reached a state of fury. We crawkxl into sleeping-bags and tried to Warm ourselves in a frail little shelter. It was impossible to get hot drinks owing to the altitude, but we used solidified spirit to comfort-oux dulled bodies. A TERRIFIC GALE. '‘After sunset the storm rose to a gale, and tore at the tent with such force that it constantly lifted the groundsheet, though we were lying on it. At midnight we were thickly covered with fine spindrift blown in through tbs tent. We dared not sleep. It was all we could do to -hold down the tent. If once the wind had fairly gripped the tent, we would have been blown down to a glacier a thousand feet below.

“Next morning the gale reached iW maximum strength, flapping the canvas with a noise like a machine-gun. The noise was so deafening that we hardly converse. During a lull we toot turns to go outside, and succeeded in roping down the tent; then we snatched a few moments of deep, being much exhausted through the exposure and half frtozen. At daybreak the snow ceased, but the wind continued nnabated. We tried to build a wail of stones to windward to afford protection, but our exhaustion owing to the cold on each of these excursions, though they seldom lasted five minutes, showed that there could be no question of advancing or retreating untii the gale abated. Wo lay quiet, keeping as warm as possible, putting on every stitch of clothing and huddling dose together. Suddenly after midday the wind dropped to a comparative breeze. It was time to retreat if we desired to do so, but we decided to hang on another night, hoping tor a finer day. WELCOME RELIEF. “At 6 o’clock that evening we beard voices outside. It was a party of porters from the North Cbl, with thermos flasks of hot beef tea. We had a good night, and much improved our condition by taking the oxygen apparatus to bed, and sucking driblets of gas from it during the night. We thus contrived to deep well, sod at daybreak we felt fit and fresh, bat hungry. As soon as the first rajs of the eon struck the tent, we shouldered our burdens, but, after wo bad climbed a few hundred feet, an intensely cold breeze started. Our solitary companion was a faithful and wonderful Gurkha non-com., named Tejbir. Even his sturdy constitution showed signs of wavering. We managed to boost him to 26,000 feet, but there be collapsed. We tried to urge him on, without avail. Tejbir was played oat, and we sent him back to camp. We were nous obliged to shoulder Tejbir’a burden, a decidedly cruel imposition. We readied 26,5d0 feet. The ground was much steeper, and the wind fiercer and colder. We elm bed diagonally almost direct towards the summit by a series of steep inclined slabs, where the least slip would have entailed disaster. By midday we reached 27,300 feet. Wo had negotiated half the distance between the north-east shoulder and the summit. TURNING BACK. “Just before reaching this point, which was our highest, General Bruoa bad an unfortunate accident, wtkA| put the oxygen apparatus out of action , owing to knocking the breathing tube against a rock. I was able to share my apparatus with General Bruce, and we repaired the damage. In the meantime the wind and ooVl seemed bent on doing their worst. Hugo banks of grayish, rolling clou da filled the valley at the head of the Rongbuk Glacier, and drove up to us before the fierce west wind. We lost! all feeling in our feet, and oar shoulders ached with the weight oi the apparatus. We decided that if we deposited the oxygen cylinders on the ridge in descending we would have a much better chance of reaching the summit in a second attempt. IWufore we turned back, and descended is really bad weather. Wo staggered to camp thoroughly done up. We felt we could not have taken another step.” Unofficial reports suggest that the Everest Expedition will be abandoned. Only a hundred feet wan added to the height record, and no furtlier progress can bo expected. All the explorers have been incapacitated by their hard, ships.