ATTEMPT TO CONQUER EVEREST

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19451, 28 March 1933, Page 7

ATTEMPT TO CONQUER EVEREST

BRITISH FLVERS READY FOR BIC ADVENTURE. united Press Association By Electric Telegranh—Copyright CALCUTTA, March 23. Members of the Everest Expeditioi alfe making final preparations a Pumea, in Bihar, for to-morrow’s at tempt to fly over the peak. FACTORS WHICH MAKE THE TASI DIFFICULT.

Two attempts are about to be made to conquer Mount Everest, one in aeroplanes and one by climbers. The former, now under way, is being made to-mor-row by Group Commander Fellowes and the Marquis of Clydesdale, flying Westland aeroplanes fitted with Bristol Pegasus engines—a similar type to that in which Captain Cyril Uwins recently ascended to eight and a half miles, thus setting a new world record. i The aim of the airmen is to take photographs of the summit of the mountain and of the surrounding glaciers and peaks. That of the climbers who follow this attempt is to plant foot on top of the mountain for the first time. The climbers are restricted by circumstances to a limited period. There Is only one month in the year when it Is possible to make a successful assault on the mountain, and that is between early May and early June. In other words, the assault on Everest largely develops into a race with the south-west monsoon, which arrives about the early part of June. Until the monsoon comes the northern slopes of the Himalayas are swept by dry, cold winds, and although these conditions induce intense cold and fatigue on the climbers, the mountains are safe for climbing. As soon as the warm and humid south-west wind arrives, however, thawing sots in, the snow begins to loosen, and the avalanche becomes a real danger. Menace of Fatigue. On the other hand, the climbers must leave their attempt to the last moment before the advent of summer, because to reach the mountain there are no fewer than six high passes to be crossed at an average elevation of 17,000 ft. Although in April probably only a few Inches of snow will be found on the passes, the cold is Intense, and the effort and fatigue in crossing these heights cost the climbers dear. Taking all the circumstances into consideration, therefore, the most propitious time to climb Everest is in May and June, and this explains why all the preceding expeditions have launched the attack at that time of the year. Then there is the direction of the attack, which is to be made from the north. The south side of Everest is a tremendous ice face. Impregnable and unscalable. When the airmen fly over the mountain, they will approach from tho south side and fly above and over this tremendous wall of sheer precipice, but to the climbers it offers an impossible approach. On the north side of the mountain, , however, the approaches are moie ~ adual and previous exploration has shown that there is a feasible route via a great glacier known as the Rongbuk, That is the only known passage to the summit, and It is up this glacier that the previous three expeditions made their ascent. There are actually twe glaciers, the Rongbuk and the East Rongbuk, and it is the latter whicli has now become a well-worn trail tc the summit. Lessons From Experience. It the course of the expeditions thal haul been made in past years, a complete revolution in the technique ol climbing has been effected. Formcrij it was thought that the best way U win to the summit was by forming £ bue camp as high as possible, Utenct

making a dash for it. But now all that is changed. It was found that climbers could become acclimatised to the effects of high altitude if they adopted a slow but sure piecemeal attack. It was found, too, that as each stage upwards was progressively attacked, and each camp and bivouac established, as the days passed the climbers lost their mountain I sickness, their snow blindness, the fear- | ful lassitude and inertia and the aceotnj panying difficulty in breathing. But it ! was found, too, that as the last stages ' were approached, nothing could overi come the great mental and physical I strain of the laborious toiling upwards. By adopting Polar methods or relay j parties, it was made possible for the actual climbers to have their porteri age and other tasks carried out for * them by supporting parties, but even I so, the question of breathing and j fatigue had to be met, and it was met by the introduction of oxygen The flasks themselves - wen? rather heavy, and some people thought the exertion of carrying them more than counterbalanced the benefit which the climbers derived from the oxygen. But. the new expedition is equipped with the latest and most convenient form of oxygen breathing apparatus, a great improvement on that carried by former expeditions. ■accesses in Himalayas. The task of establishing the base camp at about 22,000 ft will be carried out by porters who have taken part in previous expeditions. On the last expedition, when Irvine and Mallory lost their lives when at or near the summit, the last camp, No. 5, was pitched at 27,000ft— 2000ft from the top. This year, despite the failures of the past, it is believed that the expedition will reach the summit without fail.

A successful assault on Mount Everest demands, as experiences of previous expeditions have shown, the highest mental and physical powers. In this respect it bears a close parallel to the tremendous efforts and exertions of Captain R. F. Scott and his companions to reach their depot in Antarctica. Like the Scott party, the last expedition lost two of its members, Mallory and Irvine, who were last seen climbing the upper slopes near the summit. The expedition this year is commanded by Mr H. S. Ruttledge, and includes picked men who have already demonstrated their capacity for endurance and effort in direst extremity.