THE RECONNAISSANCE EXPEDITION OF 1921 This preliminary expedition carried out its work in the most complete manner the following summer. Routes to Everest, through the district of Shekar and Kharta Sheka, were thoroughly explored and mapped. The approaches to Mt. Everest on all its northern faces were thoroughly examined. Relations were estab lished with all the local authorities. This expedition was excel lently constituted for the work in hand. Under the leadership of Lt.-Col. C. K. Howard-Bury, D.S.O., the climbing party consisted of C. H. Bullock, Dr. A. M. Kellas, G. L. Mallory, and Harold Raeburn. Maj. H. T. Morshead, D.S.O., and Maj. 0. E. Wheeler, M.C., went as surveyors and Dr. A. M. Heron as geologist. A. F. R. Wollaston, D.S.C., was doctor, naturalist, and botanist. Among them was one mountaineer and scientist whose name stands out pre-eminently in the exploration of the Himalaya—Dr. Kellas, who, unfortunately, died during the march through Tibet.
The first object was to explore the Rongbuk valley beyond the Rongbuk monastery. From there the mountaineering party pushed up the west Rongbuk glacier, which descends directly from the northern faces of Mt. Everest, but failed to find the true approach to the mountain up the narrow mouth of the east Rongbuk glacier. This glacier was later on in the year surveyed by Wheeler and the true approach was estab lished. Later, the expedition crossed over to the low-lying country to the east of Mt. Everest at Kharta Sheka.
From there a pass was found named the Lhakpa La, 2 2,000f t., which led to the head of the east Rongbuk glacier. From this point the mountaineering members of the party were able to trace the most likely line of attack on the mountain and actually mounted by difficult snow and ice slopes to a col on the main north ridge, descending from Everest, which they named the Chang La or North Col. By this time the season was late, the weather was breaking and no more work could be effected. The reconnaissance expedition had collected an immense amount of information and had mapped the country to the north of Everest.
On the information and experience of the reconnaissance expe dition the second expedition to Everest was organized, which was to complete the exploration of the group and to carry out the ascent of the great mountain. Brig.-Gen. the Hon. C. G. Bruce, C.B.,M.V.O., was in command, with Col. E. L. Strutt as second-in-command. The climbing party consisted of Mr. G. L. Mallory, Maj. E. F. Norton, D.S.O., R.A., Dr. T. H. Somervell, Dr. A. W. Wakefield, and Capt. G. I. Finch, who was oxygen officer to this party. Dr. T. G. Longstaff was doctor and naturalist. Mr. C. G. Crawford, I.C.S., Capt. J. G. Bruce, M.C., and Capt. C. J. Morris were the transport officers. Maj. H. T. Morshead, D.S.O., was surveyor, and Capt. J. B. L. Noel photographer.
It had been found necessary to make the attempt early in the year, as giving a better chance of good weather and of finding the snowy conditions on the mountain more favourable to an assault; but this early start also carried with it a great deal more exposure and fatigue on the journey from Darjeeling to Everest ; for on this route the passes cut off the southern Himalaya from the north and several high and ex posed ridges have to be crossed. Naturally, too, the outfit was much greater, and for the first time in the exploration of the mountains experiments were to be made in the artificial adminis tration of oxygen as an assistance in counteracting the effects of low atmospheric pressure. By the end of April 1922 the ex pedition was collected in the Rongbuk valley and the base camp established within two miles of the snout of the west Rongbuk glacier. A vast amount of stores of all descriptions had been transported to this spot, employing some 35o transport animals. The Transport Problem.—It is necessary at this point to ex plain how great is the problem of attacking such a mountain as Everest. It differs from an ordinary mountaineering expedition in that many of the methods necessary for polar exploration must be put in force. A large number of first-class porters are required. For them special clothing and food are necessary, which greatly adds to the difficulties of supply. The expedition drew its porters mainly from subjects of Nepal, belonging to a tribe known as Sherpas. They are true Tibetans, who for many generations have settled on the southern slope of the Himalaya. They live in a steeper and slightly less elevated country than Tibet and are thoroughly suitable for the work; but among them there were also certain true Tibetans of Tibet. These men proved a great success through all the expeditions.
But the real problem is the race with the monsoon. The period from May i to early June is the only suitable time for the attack on the mountain, and even this is dominated by the approach of the monsoon. Up to the arrival of the south-west monsoon all the northern slopes of the Himalaya are swept by an intensely dry and cold wind. While these conditions continue the mountains are safe, if human beings can endure the terrible cold, fatigue and low atmospheric pressure. When once the humid and warm south-west monsoon is estab lished the mountains are unapproachable, snows thaw, avalanches fall, and progress is made impossible. Hence great exertion has to be made in a short time.
Up the east Rongbuk glacier camps were established from the base camp at 16,5ooft. above sea-level to camp 3, three stages higher up, which was placed near the foot of the slopes leading to the Chang La or North Col. At camp 3 the advanced base of the expedition was established, at a height of 2 i ,000f t., and here were accumulated stores of every description for the attack on the mountain. From here a high camp was successfully established in good weather on the North Col. From this camp the first attempt without the assistance of oxygen was made.
The four members of the party who were chosen for this effort, Norton, Somervell, Mal lory and Morshead, set out from the North Col. With great diffi culty they established a camp at about 2 5,000f t. on the sheltered side of the great north ridge which descends from Everest. This camp was carried up for them and pitched by the special Sherpa porters. It is worthy of note that until this expedition only once in the whole history of mountain exploration has a camp been pitched as high as 23,000ft., the height of the Chang La, and that was only for one night. The camp referred to was that of Meade's expedition on Kamet in Garhwal. This camp at 2 5,000f t. was occupied on May 19. The following morning three of the climbers, Somervell, Norton and Mallory, continued their attempt on Everest, Morshead having to be left behind as he was suffering from frost-bite and exhaustion. The climbing party pushed on under trying conditions of wind and weather until they attained the height of 26,985ft., the highest point reached by human beings up to that time. Here time and strength gave out, and a retreat was made. The descent was most toilsome, but finally the camp at 2 5,000f t. was reached, and Morshead, now worse, had to be con ducted back from this point in bad weather to the North Col. In traversing back from the gite on the face of the mountain, an accident nearly occurred from a slip ; but after a dramatic and ex citing incident the laborious descent was continued, and finally, completely worn out, they reached the camp on the North Col at midnight. Everyone was more or less frost-bitten, Morshead severely.
Later, on May 25, a second attempt was made by Finch and J. G. Bruce, using the oxygen apparatus from as low down as camp 3. They were accompanied by Naik Tejbir Bura, a young Gurkha non-commissioned officer who belonged to Capt. Bruce's regiment, the 6th Gurkha Rifles. This party followed in the footsteps of the previous one, camping, however, some 5oof t. higher, at a height of 25,5oof t. on the main ridge itself, their porters thus surpassing the efforts of the previous party. The porters returned to the North Col, but the climbing party were caught that night in a furious hurricane and were camp-bound for two nights and a day. The morning of the second day, the- weather having calmed, they set out, using the full oxygen apparatus and employing the Gurkha non-commis sioned officer to carry spare oxygen bottles. On reaching the height of 26,000ft. this young man could proceed no farther. The two mountaineers continued alone from this point and reached a height of some 27,3ooft. Their return journey, still using oxygen and picking up reserve oxygen supplies on the way down, was in great contrast to the terrible experiences of the first party. They not only descended the mountain at good speed, but continued from the North Col or Chang La directly down to the advanced base at camp 3. The expedition then returned to the base camp for rest, all members of the party being greatly exhausted. From here certain members of the expedition, including Morshead, were too ill to stay on, and returned to India.
A third attempt was organized, and the party left on June 3, consisting of Finch, Mallory, Somervell, Crawford, and Wakefield. Finch soon had to turn back and join the homing party. The remainder again camped at the advanced base, and on the morning of June 7, attempted to reach the North Col ; but unfortunately they had been overtaken three days before by bad weather and heavy snow, and following the route formerly used to the North Col, they were obliged to traverse snow slopes ren dered extremely dangerous by the accumulation of fresh snow. They were caught in a great avalanche, which swept down the face of the mountain side and carried down the whole of the party of 17, roped in groups of four and five. Two of these groups, one of four and one of five men, were swept over an ice cliff some 6of t. high, and only two out of the nine men thus carried away were saved. The leading rope consisting of three climbers, Craw ford, Mallory and Somervell, was carried down for some i 5of t. by the avalanche and stopped unharmed well above the danger point. This third attempt ended the expedition of 1922, which had added immensely to the knowledge of the possibilities of further ac climatization at high altitudes.
The 1924 expedition consisted of Brig.-Gen. the Hon. C. G. Bruce, C.B.,
in command, and of Lt.-Col. E. F. Norton, D.S.O., R.A., second-in-command. The climbing party consisted of Capt. J. G. Bruce, M.C., Messrs. Bentley Beetham, J. de V. Hazard, A. C. Irvine, G. L. Mallory, N. E. Odell and Dr. T. H. Somervell. Mr. E. O. Shebbeare was transport officer, Maj. R. W. G. Hingston, M.C., I.M.S., doctor and naturalist, and Capt. J. B. L. Noel was again photographer. Leaving Darjeeling at about the same time as before, it arrived a few days earlier at the same base camp at Rongbuk. Its transport had been improved and in creased. Unfortunately, during the march up, Gen. Bruce was obliged to return to India owing to illness.
On arrival at the base camp, every effort was made to establish a line of intermediate camps between the base camp and camp 3 with the greatest possible rapidity ; but the expedition was overtaken by hurricane after hurricane during the month of May, at a time when fair weather is ordinarily to be expected. The temperatures experienced were very much lower than in 1922, and it was very soon discovered that a low temperature, high wind, hard work, and a low at mospheric pressure together are enough to wear out the very strongest constitution in a very short period. So for some three weeks the expedition struggled in a continuous battle to establish not only the camps on the line of communication but also the alpine base on the summit of the North Col. This terrible fight against the elements, occasioning several returns for recuperation to the base camp, not only delayed the expedition very much in deed but reduced their strength and that reserve of power which is necessary for the final great assault—the great test of all ; nor at high altitudes can that lost strength ever be adequately regained.
The route that it was necessary to utilize between camp 3 at 21,000ft. and the North Col camp at 23,000f t. was far steeper and more difficult than that of 1922; but it had the advantage of being safe from the avalanches which render the easier slopes of the 1922 route most dangerous after such weather as was experienced in this season. But it was on this route that another accident almost occurred. After the new diffi cult route to the North Col had been forced by Norton, Hazard led the first party of porters and established the camp on May 22. On the following day, on his descent from the North Col camp to camp 3 in bad weather, it was discovered that four porters had remained actually on the North Col itself. A hurricane that night and the following day prevented communication with them, but on the day succeeding, Norton, Somervell and Mallory formed a rescue party to extricate these men from their dangerous posi tion. This they successfully accomplished after a most dramatic incident, two of the porters, when crossing a dangerous face, slipping down and being brought up at the edge of an ice cliff. From this position they were rescued after heroic efforts. It was a most brilliant performance, but all members of the party were now terribly worn by exposure to wind and low temperatures, —23° being registered even at camp 3. After this the expedition retired to the base camp for a complete rest.
The climbers and porters alike were completely worn out. Nor ton led them down to the monastery at the mouth of the Rongbuk valley, presided over by a remarkable Lama, a man in whom every Buddhist member of the party placed absolute faith. Here a service was held, the Lama blessed and encouraged the men, and then, when morale was re-established, Norton led the whole ex pedition back again to the advanced base camp 3. Hopes were now raised by the splendour of the weather. With reorganized plans, on June 1 camp 4 was re-established on a larger scale than ever, and from this camp the climbing party started the real as sault on the mountain. There were few porters left who were fit to make such an immense effort as was required of them, and therefore several attempts were made by parties of two climbers, assisted by whatever porters were available. Mallory and J. G. Bruce pitched camp 5 at 2 5,000f t., but owing to the exhaustion of their porters were obliged to return.
They were followed on June 3 by Norton and Somervell, who, passing them, actually pitched a camp at 26,800ft. elevation, three men having been found fit enough to carry loads without the assistance of oxygen to this great height. From this point, with the greatest pain and trouble, Somervell and Norton reached a height on the following day of 28, goof t. ; they again descended to the North Col. Somervell had been working under disadvanta geous conditions, suffering terribly from a high altitude throat. So parched does one's throat become in this intensely cold and dry air that it forms more than an inconvenience, even a danger. Nor ton had been fit and well, but the following morning awoke suffer ing from snow blindness. An unforgettable episode occurred when, quite blind, he was taken down that steep and difficult descent by Hingston and Hazard.
was still one more attempt to be made by Mallory and Irvine. There had been defects in the oxy gen apparatus and but little oxygen was available. They were assisted by a supporting party consisting of Odell and Hazard. On June 6 they left the 2 5,000f t. camp with three porters, who again carried loads for them to 27,00o feet. On June 8 they left camp 6 for their attempt. Odell on that morning arrived alone at this highest camp, to watch their progress and report on it, and to take such steps for their comfort as were considered necessary. He caught a glimpse of the climbers for a few moments high up on the mountainside; the mists blew across and he saw them no more. Returning to camp 4 he awaited their return ; but on the following morning, seeing no sign of them, he searched the moun tainside without effect. On June io, for the third time, he mounted the slopes to the 2 7,000f t. camp—in itself an unprecedented effort —but could find no signs of Mallory and Irvine, and, communi cating with Norton, evacuated the mountain. The expedition also lost one young Gurkha from over-exposure, and one Tibetan from frostbite and pneumonia. In April 1933 two British aeroplanes made two flights over the summit of Everest. During the summer of 1936, a party led by Hugh Ruttledge, meeting with exception ally bad conditions, failed to reach the summit. (C. G. B.)
