Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 30, 1932. THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17950, 30 November 1932, Page 6

Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 30, 1932. THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE

Bometimcs it is elaimefl, and asscrted as an evidence of the decadence of civilisation,that tin; ago of adventure has passed. Afan lias no fresh worlds to conquer, the pioneering work has all been done, (he people have become so contented .with the comforts and luxuries of modern life that tin I }' will not venture out on fresh enterprises and hazards. The statement, we believe, is built upon utterly false premises. Never was there an age when the spirit of adventure was so manifest, with man tho eternal adventurer on land and sea, in the air above and the waters beneath, searching out as never in all recorded time t he hidden places of mother earth and challenging the riddle of the universe. Need we point to Professor Piccard and other adventurers ascending into tin; stratosphere to explore the mysteries of the cosmic rays, to the airmen and ainvomen who straddle the earth in their seven league boots, to men like Wilkins or the crew of the Artigiio who engage in submarine feats involving great nerve and skill, or to the patient investigators at thousands of laboratories and research

stations who are continually exploring the iiilinite secrets and problems of nature for the benefit of mankind. In the realm of high adventure, explorations, one of which recently took toll ot a promising young life in Greenland, arc almost continuously in progress at one or other of the extremities of the earth, and in the coming year a British expedition is again to attempt the ascent of Everest. 'lt is to this project that we would particular! v refer, because it illustrates

more vividly than most human enterprises that the spirit of adventure is not dead and because also Sir Francis Youngiinsbaml, whose own contribution to the world’s geographical knowledge is so great, has given us in a special article to the London Times an eloquent justification for what many would term a foolhardy adventure. It will b.o remembered that Mallory and Irvine died in tlie splendid failure eight years ago, and Norton and Somervell, following them, stood within 900 ft of the loftiest summit in the world, gaining an altitude of more than 2S, 100 ft. Being made without oxygen that climb showed that man can acclimatise himself to even tho greatest heights. Kamct (25,4.47 ft.) lias since yielded its summit, to the British expedition under Smythe, and Kanehc-njunga (28,255 ft.) has defied the brave assault of a Gerimyi party. When Norton and Somervell came so near success in 1924, in the third organised attempt to conquer Everest, they wanted to try again and started to get together another expedition. But then the Thibetan Government asked that no further attempt should bo made—tho sacred gods of the sacred mountain must be no further challenged. Now it is announced tlmt the Dalai Lama has unexpectedly given his consent and that the Royal Geographical Society and Royal Alpine Club are getting ready men and et|moment for another try. Sir Francis Youngliusband holds out hope of success. Tho stature of the mountain, lie says, cannot increase, but the stature of man can. “The mountain can grow no higher. It can employ no weapons save those we already know —deadly cold, terrific winds, avalanches, snow, .ice, rocky precipice, and above all, rarefied atmosphere. But we know them and know the worst they enu do. -Man can profit by experience. lie can bide his time. He can wtiieli for unguarded moments. Ho can equip himself against cold and wind. He can train himself against snow and ice and precipice. He can acclimatise himself against the want of oxygon in the air. The experience gained by recent expeditions will all bo used aiul when man appears next summer on Everest he will be a very different person from the man the mountain had to cope with eight years ago. The mere fact that he once curried a light tent and slept the night at 27,000 ft. and. reached 28,100 ft. will give him confidence at the start. The last expedition did not know that this was possible; tho present will know it is. Its members will set out with their minds already acclimatised to 28,000 ft. Nobody would be foolhardy enough to say that this expedition will succeed; what, is certain is that .some day man will stand on the summit of tho mountain. And what then?" asks Sir Francis as he conies to the question so frequently asked in connection with alpine and polar adventures. “Who will be one ounce the better for it? Tho man who does stand there will have gone through incrcdiblo hardship and will have spent himself to tho limit. What is the good of it all? "Why not content ourselves with Snowden or Drimro.se Hill? Shortly, the answer is that climbing Everest raises the standard of achievement. Many who havo

never been near a mountain have been thrilled by descriptions of the climbers’ efforts to rcch the summit and have been spurred on by them to higher achievements in their own. Everest has become a symbol. Everest stands for all that is highest and purest and most difficult of attainment. As the climbers struggle gasping towards thi 1 summit, they will be putting heart into all who are striving upward in whatever field. This knowledge will do most to put heart, into themselves. 80, .in the words ot ,Somervell, written on the day after his splendid failure: “The light is worth it—worth it every time.’ ” So we shall watch even from this distance, with tho greatest interest. the glorious adventure of youngmen upon the ultimale highlands of the earth. It will need young blood—a year or two below 50 .is the ideal age—but the leader and his team will bo well chosen, and it is safe to say that whether they win or lose llicy will give to the world an inspiring exhibition of dauntless courage.