conditions & problems

THE CONDITIONS AND PROBLEMS THEY FACED

First few days – faced humidity that left them all drenched in sweat and rains never let up.

6 mules collapsed on first day several more on steep climb

Mutiny of the porters.

The wind is the curse of this country…your face simply goes to bits.

For 3 hours Mallory cut steps in glacier – good training for the men, neither was familiar w climbing ropes – but they were exhausted and Mallory fell through ice twice, soaking his clothes.

The cook was sick the porters refused to move until threatened  – everyone’s boots outer clothing and gear was frozen stiff in the air.

Trudged back down – knee deep in snow even in snowshoes.

Stymied by weather, constantly.

The glacial stream roared out of the mountain. Too dangerous to ford. Waited until dawn when the water level would be lower.  “It was the devil crossing the stream”. (Wheeler when he makes discovery of doorway to the mtn.)

Snow fell for 36 hrs.

Wheeler runs out of rations waits for resupply – he’s smokeless – so he rolls 3 stubs into one ‘rank but smokeable’ cigarette.

Wheeler’s tent crushed by 3ft of snow.

Sank to your knees in snow w snowshoes. But the real enemy was the heat that rose from the ice once the sun broke the horizon.  Mallory “we were enveloped in a thin mist which obscured the view and made one world of snow and sky-a scorching mist, if you can imagine such a thing, more burning than bright sunshine and indescribably breathless. One seemed literally at times to be walking in a white furnace.”

Morshead compared it to the unbearable heat of the Indian plains only far worse, mist that became steam, enveloping and exhausting the body. To halt for even a moment was to be overcome w inertia.

Mallory and bullock push for 20000 ft camp but turned back because of fresh snow. Had to wait for sun to melt it and the night to harden it.

They had to sit and wait out the weather – getting restless. It was freezing cold. All they could do was stay in bed. Finally they all gathered in one tent to play bridge. 3ft of fresh snow had fallen.

No fuel left at camp-all firewood had to be carried up 5 miles from valley below.

Depends on how many coolies they can take. Not enough boots and not enough fit coolies. They needed 18 they had only 19 but not all well and not enough boots.

Coolies bailed. One coolie went back and retrieved 2 packs that the others had abandoned.

Howard-Bury: “the sun at these great heights… Is one of the great foes that we contend with. The whole climate is trying and the extremes are so great that your feet can be suffering from frost-bite while you are getting sunstroke at the same time.”

They all shared tiny tents. All porters in 4 tents. It was like climbing into a valise. Or dog kennel. Bivouacked at close quarters but didn’t share a word.

Only Mallory cut two slits in the top of his tent and slept through the night. Everyone else woke and their “faces and hands were all a curious blue colour” (bury wrote) which Wollaston diagnosed as cyanosis of the blood, caused by oxygen deprivation.

Fierce squalls battered their camp – threatening to tear tents from their moorings. The night didn’t encourage sleep. But Mallory slept. Bullock didn’t. The only porters fit to climb the next am were Wheeler’s three.

What greeted them at the col shattered their sense.   A first sign appeared even below the rim. Each man began to glow with a frigid halo, an “aureole of spindrift” and whirling snow. As soon as they crested the height, a wind like nothing they had ever known plunged them into a maelstrom as mad and disorienting as anything Wheeler had experienced in France in battle.  Certain they would die by suffocating in swirling eddies of snow.

“A sudden gust of violent wind…made a miniature cyclone of blown snow which caught us in its vortex just below the crest”. (Mallory) the structure of the col saved them offering some cover from the wind. They took shelter under an ice wall

Mallory incredibly strong and fit. Wheeler had lost feeling in both legs. Bullock was “cooked” but would have continued if Mallory had wanted to-but was happy Mallory decided to stop. The wind was the deciding factor.

Ice formed in his hair and frosted his eyelashes.

Continued on the col for a few minutes but decided nobody could survive the exposure for more than an hour and retreated.  Mallory and Wheeler went ahead. Bullock showed up 2 hrs later, dehydrated and disoriented by fatigue.

At lower camp: Mallory’s attention was on Wheeler whose legs were like stumps no feeling below the knees and his feet were raw “very nearly gone w frostbite.” For over an hour Mallory rubbed Wheeler’s legs with whale oil bringing them back around. Wheeler credits Mallory for saving his feet and his life. Through the night Mallory stayed by Wheeler’s side – Wheeler unable to sleep -and bullock unable to sleep sat on other side at last able to “smoke a pipe w pleasure”

Typical after monsoon fades, gale force winds pound the Himalaya from northwest – violent at elevations above 23000 – in Sept – they had effectively walked directly into the face of a hurricane.

1922:

They lost 5 porters who didn’t have adequate clothing for the height and slept without bedding in a nunnery at tatsang – barely alive. Gen Bruce said “it made for a disheartening start”

Finch found the way for the others but then the Tibetans just stopped refusing to continue “no argument or inducements by way of backsheesh (money)… Was of the slightest avail. Fear of devils and lack of grazing for the animals were insuperable obstacles”. Finch was furious but had no choice to retreat to Mallory and bullocks 1921 camp where demanded the Tibetans dump their loads. The yaks snorted across the barren flat. Ponies ran loose. Chaos and Tibetans demanded to be paid. Longstaff managed to “stave off a stoning match between Tibetans and our people” a few choice words from general quelled the unrest.

Finch found splendid spot for camp 1 then bent his ice ax blade on the Himalayan ice.

Mallory’s 4 climbing team attempt: They went to bed at 430pm.  Woke to find the porters half dead sickened w mountain lassitude. Only 5 fit to climb. They had sealed the flaps of their tent – no air flow. The tins of spaghetti had been left outside so they needed thawing which delayed them further. Set off at 7am.

Norton sitting apart from others rested his pack on his knees. Gathering the slack in one of the ropes, Mallory knocked his pack over. Norton lunged for it but couldn’t grab it and it tumbled out of sight. He lost all his warm clothes. But the other 3 had enough so they continued.

The cold wrecked them. Wind chill added 40 degrees of frost to air already bitterly cold.

Mallory took measure of his senses and found his extremities were numb. Frostbite threatened them all.

Dropped bag of provisions and Morshead offered to retrieve it and suffered considerably. He said “I think I won’t come w you… I am quite sure I shall only keep you back. At that, Somervell tied into Norton’s rope and they left Morshead alone.

They moved at a “miserable crawl”. Mallory’s foot hurt – feared frostbite – removed boot Norton rubbed it and suggested he remove a pair of socks – his boot was too tight – problem solved.

Advanced at a rate of climb – 400ft per hour diminishing speed w every step.

Crammed in tent they tried to sleep

With dawn came snow followed by hail. Thick clouds darkening further. Mallory first to stir – Norton yawns and says “I suppose…its about time we were getting up” as if awakening in a luxury cottage by the sea.

They had shared a sleeping bag and neither wanted to leave the warmth of it. Both had headaches. Norton’s ear looked awful. The porters had taken all the thermos with them. They had to melt snow for tea.

Descent: They got off track a bit. Morshead slipped at the time Somervell in rear was taking a step he too lost his balance and fell. The force took Norton off his feet. Mallory who was cutting a step but sensed as much as heard the accident instinctively thrust his ax into the snow and spun a coil of rope around as a belay. Somervell plunged his ax into the slope as a brake, as did Norton. But it was Mallory’s reflex response that saved all of their lives. None hurt but deeply shaken.

After near death experience, Morshead had lost it. He wanted to glissade down slopes that demanded careful steps. They had to guide him down and talk him down. He was suffering from hypothermia and reached the point where he was perfectly content to lay down in the snow and die.

They walked through the night w Somervell’s lantern. They at last found the fixed rope and then lowered Morshead by rope and then they had no choice but to jump. 18hour day and no water. They arrived at camp 4 to find the porters hadn’t left a single cooking pot. They had no means to slake their thirst, save a mixture of canned milk, strawberry jam and snow.

As they descended to camp 3 in desperation for water the front pulled too hard, pulling Mallory from the rear, causing him to fall 80 ft. Finch caught it on camera. Mallory said, “I could have borne the ignominy of my involuntary glissade… Had I not found Finch at the foot of the slope taking advantage of my situation w a Kodak”.

Finch and Bruce had O2 tanks on and 2 thermoses of hot tea – they gave to climbers. Most of them could hardly speak. Finch had great admiration for what they had achieved. A “magnificent record” and safe return.

Wakefield escorted them to camp 3 where Noel was waiting to film the return. Somervell drank 17 mugs of tea. Somervell said “it was thirst that did me in and nothing else” he said even as Wakefield bound up his black swollen hands.

Finch and Bruce Jr attempt:  But the storm picked up to full hurricane force.  Gusts tore at their tent w such ferocity – that the ground sheet w all 3 men lifted off the packed snow. They had to force all their weight fully against the canvas so the whole tent didn’t blow of. They feared that at any moment the fabric would be torn to ribbons.

Finch: “we fought for our lives…realizing that once the wind got our little shelter into its ruthless grip, it must inevitably be hurled w us inside down on to the east Rongbuk glacier, thousands of feet below.

By midnight everything was coated w frost and their sleeping bags were dangerously damp.

Finch: “the wind flapping of the canvas… Made a noise like that of machine-gun fire. So deafening was it that we could scarcely hear each other speak.”

Dawn- the snow stopped falling but the wind continued.  They couldn’t retreat even if they wanted to.

A stone struck side of tent tearing a hole in the canvas.  By 1pm the wind broke and the worst of the storm passed. Finch wanted to stay another night – but wasn’t sure if Bruce jr and Tejbir would agree. Bruce jr agreed immediately and in Punjabi asked Tejbir whose only response was to “broaden his already expansive grin”.

Then on the northeast ridge Bruce jr yelled not getting O2 and Finch didn’t hesitate – he raced down and grabbed Bruce jr just in time, before he was about to fall backwards off the mountain. Finch dragged him forward saving his life and inserted his own breathing tube into Bruce’s mouth. At elevation where most can’t think. Finch worked to solve the problem while figuring a way to let Bruce and Finch breathe from his own cylinder while he attached a new glass tube to Bruce jrs cylinder.  (At least Finch discovered that a sudden stop of O2 wouldn’t kill a man on the mountain as suspected.)

THIRD ATTEMPT – DISASTER:  As Mallory and others climbed. Noel bailed and came back down to film from below. Then an avalanche hit the climbing party. “An explosion of untamed gunpowder”. In an instant the entire slope gave way. At first Mallory was able to ride the surge but then the rope around his waist tightened. He thrust his arms out as if swimming. Over within seconds. His arms free and legs near the surface. He Somervell and Crawford and the porter tied to them were fine. They immediately started digging to save the others. They saved a few – barely alive. Others carried off the side and others found dead. 7 died.

1924:

Irvine unpacked oxygen tanks. Most of 90 were damaged 15 were empty. 24 had leaked. Irvine set out to design new one and made a lighter better functioning one – improving them more than the Siebe Gorman engineers had managed in 2 yrs.

O2 debate likened to that of Scott not wanting to use sledge dogs in the Antarctic – which resulted in the death of the entire party.

Early on: So cold the champagne bottles froze and shattered.

Ink froze and Somervell gave up on sketching plans for the time being.

Things worsened as the temp stayed cold.  Mallory: my boots were frozen hard on my feet… And I knew we could do nothing to make a comfortable camp.

Irvine: “the sleeping bag…seemed to shrink to half its normal size… And I kept turning over into patches of frozen breath.”

Porters were without proper bedding and w the weather dropping to minus 21 Fahrenheit, 53 degrees of frost and only one handful of uncooked barley for each. Most were comatose by morning the ones that could walk were throwing up.

Even Irvine (king tinkerer) couldn’t light the stoves.  Storm and wind grew.

No one moved about camp. It seemed utterly lifeless.

Mallory falls down a crevasse. Caught himself by his ice ax – could plunge to his death. Called for help but others were below and couldn’t hear. He had to work his way up on his own with only his ice ax. No crampons.

Reached camp 3 – too cold, streams frozen – couldn’t make hot meals or tea. The food they had tasted of kerosene.

When 3 porters stranded at higher camp:  Mallory Somervell and Norton made up rescue party each breaking the path of knee deep snow until exhausted and passed job on to next. They ran into the porters on the way and asking if they could walk. They asked “up or down”. Norton yelled “down, you fool!” Stunned to realize that the men had no idea of the danger they were in.

A severely exposed slope divided the rescue party and the porter. Belayed by Norton Mallory and Somervell w 200ft of rope just within 30ft of reach of porters. The first made it. Then the second. The last two decided to come together despite the others telling them not to. Avalanche territory. Their combined weight cut loose a great sheet of snow and the 2 plunged seemingly to their doom. But the snow stopped not 10 yrds form the edge of ice cliffs falling 200ft. The men stood but Somervell ordered them to sit.

Somervell untied his belay drove his ax into the snow as an anchor, passed rope through it and lowered himself to the men with one hand free to grab them. As risky as swimming out to a drowning victim – they could do anything. He grabbed each by scruff of neck and led them one at a time to safety.

The wind was awful. As bad as in 1921. Odell and Irvine happy to let them go on their own.

Most porters bailed and dropped their loads refused to do more. Bruce and Mallory continued up another 300ft and set up two tents. Then Bruce and Lobsang made two trips to carry the porters loads up to camp. Strained Bruce’s heart but he wouldn’t know.

Bruce and Mallory in one tent. The three porters in another.

The next am. The porters refused to move – they all retreated (saved Bruce’s life because he had strained his heart – but didn’t know at the time.)

Norton and Somervell attempt:  They were all bundled like “golluwogs”. Absurd in appearance but at least ready for the wind.  But Everest made a mockery of their preparations. Norton: “the wind even at this early hour…took our breath away like a plunge into the icy waters of a mountain lake, and in a minute or two our well protected hands lost all sensation as they grasped the frozen rocks to steady us.”

Somervell taking a pic exposed his finger for only a second or two before they became too numb to press the shutter.

That night wind flung rocks and slashed porters tent open and cut their knees and skulls. Only 3 were willing to continue in the am.

At camp 6 – Slept and one flask of tea spilled delayed start in am.

Norton shook w cold. Took his pulse. It was 64.  Which was 20 beats above his norm. His goggles impeded his sight. So he removed them.

Somervell gave up and sat, exhausted in the snow. The rescue mission had burnt him out. He urged Norton to continue. Norton simply nodded at him and moved on.

Norton followed the upper edge of the yellow bands. He dropped down until he found a cut that led through to the gully itself the great couloir that in time would bear his name. This was the opening to the summit.  It was a near impossible climb especially for a blind man which is what he had become. He finally turned back at 28126ft.

Norton panicked trying to climb back to Somervell.  He called out for help and Somervell came belayed him, but dropped his ice ax. Then he tied a rope around Norton’s waist. They stumbled down to camp 6 – they had foolishly unroped. Norton unexpectedly left Somervell behind w a few bold glissades. He thought Somervell had stopped to sketch. But Somervell was fighting for his life. The lining of his larynx was frozen and raw. Frostbite had scorched his airways. He couldn’t breathe. “I made one or 2 attempts to breathe but nothing happened. Finally I pressed my chest w both hands, gave one last almighty push and the obstruction came up. What a relief! Coughing up a little blood I once more breathed really freely-more freely than I had in some days.” Somervell quickly caught up w Norton.

More than 15 hrs of exposure. Mallory and Odell found them but instead of bringing hot tea and soup they brought O2. Norton lost it for the first time. “I remember shouting again and again. ‘We don’t want the damn oxygen we want drink.”

Temps soared to 120 degrees in sun but freezing in shadows.